Women in Business - Kristen Coury

Guest Writer
5 hours ago
2 min read

Leading with Vision at Gulfshore Playhouse

"My first covenant is with the audience, and I care about what they think.”

Kristen Coury is a leader who knows that great institutions are built not only on success, but on courage. Courage to take risks, honor the past, and shape the future. As Founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse, she continues to redefine what professional regional theatre can be in Southwest Florida and beyond.

Now in just its second season in the new Baker Theatre and Education Center, Gulfshore Playhouse has emerged as a vital cultural and economic force in Naples. Under Coury’s leadership, the theatre draws artists and audiences from across the country, fueling the city’s vibrant downtown and earning national recognition. In December 2025, The New York Times highlighted Gulfshore Playhouse as one of the few regional theatres in America defying industry trends, praising its growth, record-breaking attendance, and ambitious vision.

This season, Coury has already brought her distinctive directorial voice with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, a bold and emotionally fearless production that reaffirmed the company’s commitment to artistic excellence. Later this season, she returns to direct The Importance of Being Earnest from March 1 - April 4, marking the first time Gulfshore Playhouse has revisited a production from its past. Originally staged during the 2012-2013 season, the revival reflects the theatre’s evolution and Kristen’s desire to reimagine this classic comedy on the new Broadway-sized Moran Mainstage.

Coury’s leadership also shines through her championing of new work. Through the Gulfshore Playhouse Next Wave Festival January 31-February 1, she places Naples at the forefront of American theatre, guided by a philosophy she shared with The New York Times: “My first covenant is with the audience, and I care about what they think.”

For Kristen Coury, visionary leadership means building a theatre that audiences love and a cultural legacy that strengthens the community it serves.