Above: Mimi Warnick (l) and Candice Buchanan are teaming to guide Delaware Theatre Company through its next chapter. Photo by Lena Mucchetti.
By Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald
This past year has marked a ‘re-invention’ of sorts for Delaware Theatre Company (DTC). In February 2025, DTC tapped then-Associate Artistic Director Mimi Warnick to become its next producing artistic director. Later that August, Candice Buchanan followed, joining the team as its new managing director. The positions, once a combined executive role, are now held by two separate but equal leaders hoping to take DTC to new heights.
‘Artistic Vision Meets Organizational Reality’
That’s how Buchanan aptly describes the connection in their roles. “We’re both deeply invested in storytelling, community connection, and the long-term health of the theatre,” she notes, “but our responsibilities are intentionally distinct.”
Buchanan notes that Warnick leads the artistic vision, creative development, and the audience’s experience on stage, while her concentration is on strategy, operations, finance, and external relationships that make that vision sustainable. “Because we trust each other’s expertise, we’re able to stay in our lanes while working toward the same goals,” she says.
Warnick agrees. “Highly collaborative and honest,” is how she describes their management style. “We communicate constantly and directly, problem-solving together, and trust one another to make decisions.”
Leadership Tied to Storytelling
Candice Buchanan’s professional background has encompassed work in education and community engagement, both at the Delaware Department of Education and the YWCA. While this is her first position within the arts sector, Buchanan sees similarities in her current and past roles.
“In many ways, the responsibilities feel very familiar,” she says. “Leadership, storytelling, relationship-building, and creating meaningful experiences have always been core to my work. My experience has taught me how to lead through complexity, align resources with values, manage risk, and lift up stories that connect communities to the work.”
In the arts, she notes, those same skills are essential in spaces where collaboration, creativity, and sustainability must align to produce quality work that is both accessible and meaningful.
Buchanan says she has enjoyed gaining a deeper understanding of the theatrical production process. “I come from a background where impact is often measured over time, so it’s been incredibly meaningful to observe how a production evolves, problem-solves, and ultimately comes together,” she says. “Watching all the parts align … has been genuinely inspiring.”
She was also pleasantly surprised by how much alignment exists between the arts and the social impact world of her previous roles.
“Many of [DTC’s] most loyal supporters are also longtime champions of service-driven organizations I’ve worked with in the past,” Buchanan says. “It became clear to me that people aren’t choosing between purpose and passion; they’re drawn to both, and the arts are a part of community well-being.”
That observation, she says, will help shape how she considers DTC’s future and the role it can play in our community.
“Regardless of sector,” Buchanan concludes, “nonprofit leadership is about mission, people, and stewardship, and how storytelling ties it all together.”
In Service of the Theater
“Everything I do as producing artistic director is in service of the theater,” says Warnick. This past year, the theatre veteran — with experience in producing, directing and administration both on and off Broadway — has definitely been actively in service.
Actor Matthew Amira plays Gino Bartali in the U.S. premiere of Glory Ride.
“This theater went through a major leadership transition all while continuing to produce exciting work and receiving glowing feedback from new and established patrons,” she says. “So, I believe there were many wins for the theater in this past year while simultaneously facing some hurdles.”
She identifies many high points to celebrate. “It was a Philadelphia sports fan dream to work with legendary sportswriter Ray Didinger [in the production of his new play, Spinner] and have a part in bringing such an impactful story to life,” she says.
“It was lovely to get to work with Layon Gray [writer/director of The Girls of Summer] after so many previous successful productions at DTC. Most recently, having Wolf PAC’s Shrek during the holidays was the biggest treat.”
Warnick says DTC has the “sweet spot” that all creative producers and directors around the world are craving. “This theater champions new work, reimagines beloved classics, and does it all with the goals of bringing people together and prioritizing theater education for patrons of all ages.”
A U.S. Premiere Heads to DTC
DTC’s next production is one for which both leaders are equally excited. DTC will present the U.S. premiere of Glory Ride, February 25 through March 15. The story is based on the life of Tour de France champion Gino Bartali, who secretly collaborated with the Cardinal of Florence to save hundreds of citizens from Mussolini’s fascist regime.
Warnick says Glory Ride’s team was interested in having DTC produce the work because DTC has the perfect blend of assets to bring new work to the stage.
“We’re in downtown Wilmington and very close to the train station, [which is great] since most of the talent is based in New York. Our staff is well-seasoned in productions of this scale,” she says. “And our audiences love taking risks in their theater experience, which delivers the perfect energy for creatives in the development process.”
“Glory Ride is an incredibly special story, and it’s been exciting to watch it evolve,” Warnick says. “I hope audiences discover something new about Gino Bartali. I also hope [they] leave knowing that through their presence, reactions, and engagement, they’re contributing to the future life of this musical. They’re helping it grow.”
Building a New Era
In the year following the transition, their immediate focus has been on stabilization and deepening audience engagement.
Further ahead, the two will focus on developing efforts to expand access and elevate educational programming; cultivating and supporting new work; and ensuring that DTC remains a vibrant, welcoming part of the community.
Buchanan and Warnick wholeheartedly agree the organization’s greatest strength is its people — staff, artists, audiences, community supporters — coupled with its reputation for high-quality work and meaningful storytelling.
And, like leaders of comparable organizations, they acknowledge challenges (and opportunities) lie in balancing financial sustainability with ambitious programming aimed at growing and diversifying audiences.
What are the two anticipating for the remainder of this season?
“I do look forward to Glory Ride,” Warnick says. “However, I won’t lie; I am so excited to direct this spring. I have always been a director first, and with taking on this role, it has been a while.”
To close DTC’s 25-26 season, Warnick heads to the director’s chair to debut her own new musical, The Chequerboard Watch. “I could not think of better way to close this year than bringing [this piece] to life for the very first time!”
For her part, Buchanan says, “I’m most looking forward to continuing to grow our audiences, strengthening community partnerships, and doing that work intentionally with Mimi to align our artistic ambition with sustainability and meaningful engagement.”
The duo is energized and optimistic about what these changes mean for the seasons ahead. Both emphatically agree DTC has a responsibility to be both a cultural anchor and an engaged community partner.
“For us, that means producing excellent work while also supporting artists, collaborating with other organizations, and ensuring access to theatre for audiences across backgrounds and experiences,” Warnick says. “We see DTC as a place where stories connect people.”
