Christie Brown’s 30 years of arts experience is grounded in her commitment to supporting artists and organizations that feed the future of the field. Her background encompasses new play development and production dramaturgy; artist advocacy and literary management; and arts management leadership, including work as a lead fundraiser, financial director, HR director, and executive leader.
Christie’s career as a dramaturg and literary advocate launched at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. She managed agent offices at ICM New York and Los Angeles, assisting A-list literary agents in theatre, film, and television. As an organizational advocate, she managed the annual fund for Arlington, VA’s Signature Theatre while the theatre ran an ambitious $16M capital campaign to construct a dual-use public arts space. She was part of the highly successful fundraising team for the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Maryland’s flagship campus, which exceeded its campaign goals to enrich its degree-granting departments, culturally focused interdisciplinary institutes, art museums, and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Christie has held multiple management positions at New Dramatists over her combined 16-year tenure, and she holds a deep understanding of the organization’s mission and operations. She began as the organization’s Literary Director (a position subsequently filled by now-Artistic Director Emily Morse). Her desire to support New Dramatists’ strength and longevity led her to accept a position as its primary fundraiser in July 2001; she was part of the management team that helped the organization navigate the tumultuous funding environment post 9/11 in New York City. Her second tenure at New Dramatists displayed her fundraising leadership as a development director and major gift officer, through her oversight of several six-figure grant awards and the organization’s first seven-figure planned gift. In the role of Finance and HR Director, she was a central part of the team that guided New Dramatists through the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and into the current COVID-era realities of safely developing and presenting theatrical work in person.
As a freelance artist, Christie’s production dramaturgy, educational dramaturgy, and guest lecturing credits include work with the Shakespeare in DC Festival, the Source Theatre Festival, KC-ACTF at the Kennedy Center, Catholic University, U-Texas/Austin, the Valdez Theatre Conference, and the University of Maryland. She was particularly honored to assist theatrical legend Zelda Fichandler (Founding Director, Arena Stage) as her dramaturgical consultant, for Zelda’s final essays and her essay collection, The Long Revolution, published by TCG in early 2024.
Christie holds dual degrees in Theatre Arts (Juniata College) and Psychology (University of Maryland/University College). She is a past President of Juniata College's Alumni Association, and currently serves on St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church’s Finance and Gift Acceptance Committees. She is a proud partner to her husband, actor/professor/author Gary Sloan, and parent to Julia and Owen Sloan.