Gus Menary is a theatre director, producer, and arts programmer, currently serving as the Managing Artistic Director of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble at the McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
He most recently directed the Midwest-premiere of Ronan Noone’s The Smuggler for Jackalope Theatre, including an extended run and remount due to audience demand.
From 2020 to 2023, Gus was the Artistic Director of Book-It Repertory Theatre in Seattle, where he led the company through the challenges of the pandemic by launching a series of innovative Audioplay productions. These included world-premiere adaptations of works by acclaimed authors such as Octavia E. Butler, N.K. Jemisin, and Jamyang Norbu. As live performances returned, he produced new stage adaptations of Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter and Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, among others. His directing credits at Book-It include Beowulf (adapted by Julian Glover) and Solaris (adapted by David Greig from Stanislaw Lem’s novel).
Prior to his time in Seattle, Gus served as Artistic Director of Jackalope Theatre in Chicago from 2015 to 2020. Under his leadership, the company produced 15 professional productions and hosted more than 200 guest companies. He spearheaded the development of new work with world premieres by Ike Holter, Lloyd Suh, and Idris Goodwin, and launched several artist development programs including the GroundWorks Series, CircleUp! Reading Series, and The Jackalope Playwright’s Lab. He also forged partnerships with organizations like Theatre Without Borders, Chicago Inclusion Project, and Chicago Park District. Newcity Magazine named him one of the “Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago.” every year from 2016-2020.
Gus is a founding member of The Roustabouts and The Inconvenience, where he served as Director of Music and Theatre Programming. He has worked with a wide range of Chicago theatre companies including Steppenwolf Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, American Theater Company, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company, First Floor Theater, and Strawdog Theatre Company