Hammerman Resigns as Grove Director

Barbara Hammerman has resigned as managing director and executive vice president of GroveShakespeare after a sometimes stormy 2 1/2-year tenure, the company announced Friday.

She presided over a bitter power struggle that led in 1991 to the ouster of Grove founder and artistic director Thomas F. Bradac, who went on to form his own classical repertory company, Shakespeare Orange County. She also was credited with landing the troupe’s biggest grant ever, $250,000 from the Anaheim-based Leo Freedman Foundation last year.

GroveShakespeare artistic director W. Stuart McDowell said Hammerman announced her resignation Thursday.

“We’re losing a great asset to the company in losing Barbara,” said McDowell.

“We’re very disappointed,” said board of trustees president David Krebs. “She’s contributed a lot to the organization.”

Hammerman’s resignation follows the mid-October departure of general manager Charles Johanson. That position was restructured and retitled as business manager, and Steve Boyer was recently named to the post.

According to a press release, Hammerman is leaving to spend more time with her family. She also said she would devote time to her duties as the new president of the North Orange County Community College District and as president of the Orange County Planned Giving Roundtable, a professional association that promotes charitable planning.