CENTRAL PENN BUSINESS JOURNAL RECOGNIZES PRIMA EXEC AS A LEADER OF IMPACT

Lancaster, PA (August 31, 2026) – Mitch Nugent, Prima Theatre’s Founding Executive Producer, has been selected by Central Penn Business Journal as part of its CPBJ 300 list.

The list, which is compiled by the Journal’s editorial team, recognizes individuals from south Central Pennsylvania who have made a significant impact in their respective field, and are helping shape the midstate’s economy.

Nugent was recognized as part of the Arts and Entertainment category for his success in growing Prima Theatre, a Lancaster-based performance and production organization, into a platform for bold new work.

“My work is really about creating the conditions for audiences to feel more fully alive when they leave than when they walked in,” Nugent says. “I think great performances can be oxygen for the soul. My role is to bring together the artists, ideas, resources, and community partnerships that allow Prima to keep creating those kinds of invigorating experiences for our community.”

Since 2019, Prima’s audience attendance has increased by 32 percent, and subscriptions have more than doubled.

“What excites me most is imagining Prima decades from now as a place people still come to because they know they’re going to encounter something fresh — something that gives them a little more energy, curiosity, wonder, or connection than they arrived with,” Nugent said. “If I can help build something that keeps infusing that kind of generative energy for years ahead, that feels like success.”

WHAT’S PLAYING NEXT AT PRIMA:

BLANK (September 11- 27)

A guest performer walks onstage having never seen the script. They receive then it for the first time, and discover it along with the audience.

Plus, one more surprise waiting: the script is full of blanks.

With help from the audience, the performer fills in the story in real time. Every performance features a new person on stage and a completely one-of-a-kind experience shaped by the people who are present.

Moving, funny, and unforgettable.

Don’t miss the regional premiere everyone will be talking about.

Mitch Nugent, Founding Executive Producer, Prima Theatre