Godfrey L. Simmons Jr.: Vision and Mission

GODFREY L. SIMMONS JR. HAS BUILT A CAREER making room for others. In 2012 he co-founded the community-minded Civic Ensemble in Ithaca, N.Y., and he will next take the reins as artistic director of a theatre with a similar community profile, HartBeat Ensemble in Hartford, Conn., which has an affiliation with the University of Connecticut. We spoke to him recently about his work and his plans for the theatre, at which he’ll start on Dec. 1.

ROB WEINERT-KENDT: Congrats on the new job.

GODFREY L. SIMMONS JR.: Thanks.

First, tell me what’s next for Civic Ensemble?

The idea