Dec. 24--Lili-Anne Brown will step down as artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago at the end of the year, a representative of the company confirmed Thursday.
"It's just time for me," Brown said. "My home burned down last year and I've lost everything in this world. I've been rebuilding and reassessing my life for the past year."
Brown has served as artistic director of the company since April 2012.
"Sometimes the universe will knock you on the head and you have to change direction," she said.
Said Bailiwick director of creative and marketing Eric Martin: "If you've ever known (Brown), she's one of those inspiration muses. She's always got something to say that lifts you up or gives you a new idea or inspires you. She's taken the company farther than we ever thought we could take it."
Brown recently directed Bailiwick's "Ease on Down," a concert celebrating all musical versions of Oz, held Dec. 6 at Victory Gardens theater. Her upcoming projects include assistant directing "Othello" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and directing Nambi E. Kelley's new play, "Jabari Dreams of Freedom," at Chicago Children's Theatre.
Bailiwick has not named a new artistic director and is currently going through a restructuring phase. The company will announce future plans at the end of January.
