As the first woman to run the festival, Appel set out to make it more ethnically diverse and inclusive of women. She not only increased the representation of non-white actors in the company to more than a third, she raised the number of new plays in the festival's mix.
As the first woman to helm the festival, Appel aimed to make it more culturally diverse and welcoming to women. She not only expanded the representation of non-white actors in the company to over a third, she also elevated the number of new plays in the festival's lineup.