Jeff Zeitlin Named Managing Director of Legacy Theatre

Press release

Branford - The Legacy Theatre in Branford has appointed Jeff Zeitlin as their new Managing Director. Zeitlin, a resident of neighboring Guilford for the past 21 years, has been with Legacy since it welcomed its first patron in 2021. He began as part-time Front of House Manager while continuing his full-time retail career in New Haven. Upon his retirement, his role at Legacy was expanded to General Manager. As the newly appointed Managing Director, he will work alongside the Executive Artistic Director Keely Baisden Knudsen to manage the theatre’s day-to-day operations.

President of Legacy’s Board of Trustees Stephanie Stiefel Williams commented, “Jeff brings a passion for theatre and, more specifically, for giving the theatre patron the best possible experience. His customer-based focus and broad business experience will bring a perspective that Legacy needs to continue to build and improve upon the foundation of our first five years.”

Zeitlin is a familiar face to many theatre lovers in the area. He is entering his tenth year as a volunteer member of Guilford High School Theatre Arts (GHSTA), of which his daughter is an alum. He serves as the program’s adult advisor to students for Front of House and handles its ticketing processes.
When asked about his new role, Zeitlin commented, “I have seen firsthand how the local towns and beyond have come out to support the theatre, and I want the theatre to continue to do the same for them. We have much planned to improve the Legacy experience, all of which has been guided by patron feedback. We review every comment that we receive, and the message was clear: we are focused more than ever on providing the public with shows that they want to see. Our 2026 season is packed with Mainstage productions for theatregoers of all ages that are sure to be fun and have them laughing!”

A large part of Zeitlin’s role will be working with Legacy’s development team to secure funding to ensure the theatre’s sustainability. “Most people don’t realize that ticket sales account for only about one-third of the revenue that a nonprofit regional theatre relies on to operate,” Zeitlin explained. “The remainder comes from donors, sponsors, and grants. I look forward to working with our development team to strengthen current relationships and explore new ones to support our mission of offering professional theatre, Broadway concerts, summer offerings, special events, and educational classes for all.”

Since he first began with Legacy, Zeitlin has prided himself on being accessible to the community and patrons. He looks forward to continuing this in his new role: “I love speaking with patrons on the phone and when they visit the theatre. That’s when you get the best input. It’s critical that we are always listening to our audience.”

The Legacy Theatre is conveniently located just four minutes off Exit 56, I-95, at 128 Thimble Islands Road, in the Stony Creek Village of Branford, CT, steps from the Long Island Sound.