RICHMOND, V.A.: The Virginia Repertory Theatre board of administrators voted to take away Phil Whiteway from his longtime submit as managing director in a gathering on Aug. 9, in line with Model Weekly. The theatre introduced the choice in a press launch earlier this week, stating that “Virginia Repertory Theatre and managing director Phil Whiteway have parted methods.”

“We thank Phil for all of his contributions to Virginia Rep and the whole Richmond theatre group,” the board continued of their assertion, “and Virginia Rep will proceed to acknowledge him as co-founder of the group, and for his contributions over his lengthy profession.”

Virginia Rep’s board stated that it plans to launch a nationwide government seek for a brand new managing director, is assembly weekly with the employees management staff, and is supporting them as they fulfill the managing director’s duties till an interim chief is known as.

Model Weekly additional reported that when contacted, Whiteway referred inquiries to authorized counsel, and that members of the regulation agency Butler Curwood “are engaged in dialogue with people at Virginia Repertory Theatre” and “will make [a statement] when applicable.”

Legal professional Harris Butler confirmed to American Theatre that he’s representing Mr. Whiteway in regard to a dispute involving the theatre. The agency focuses on “issues associated to employment regulation, together with discrimination, sexual harassment, time beyond regulation, retaliation and whistleblower claims.” When reached for remark, Virginia Repertory Theatre employees informed American Theatre that there was nothing additional so as to add at the moment.

Whiteway based Theatre IV, Virginia’s first skilled theatre for younger audiences, with former inventive director Bruce Miller in 1975. The theatre’s work centered on the humanities, training, youngsters’s well being and security, and group management. Theatre IV produced a number of instructional performs designed to handle social points together with Hugs and Kisses, Virginia’s principal baby sexual abuse prevention program, Runners, a landmark delinquency prevention program based mostly on interviews with runaways dwelling in Virginia’s midway homes and emergency shelters, and Do Lord Keep in mind Me, based mostly on the oral histories of former enslaved folks interviewed throughout the Federal Author’s Undertaking.

Theatre IV turned the primary skilled theatre within the nation to carry out on the Pentagon with its 2002 manufacturing of Buffalo Soldier. In 1999, Model Weekly chosen Miller and Whiteway as two of the “100 Most Influential Richmonders of the twentieth Century.” Theatre IV ultimately merged with Barksdale Theatre to turn into Virginia Repertory Theatre in July 2012. Virginia Rep celebrated its seventieth anniversary this yr, as Barksdale Theatre was initially based in 1953.

Miller stepped down as inventive director in 2016 and was succeeded by Nathaniel Shaw, whose tenure lasted till 2020. Virginia Rep then adopted a tripartite inventive management mannequin, with Desirée Roots made inventive director of group in Fall 2021, adopted by the appointments of inventive director of training Todd D. Norris and inventive director of programming Rick Hammerly in Spring 2022.

In October 2022, Virginia Rep additionally bought the Scottish Ceremony Temple in Richmond’s Hermitage Street Historic District for $3.5 million, which turned the Heart for Arts and Training, a brand new residence for the theatre’s youngsters’s programming.

Virginia Repertory Theatre is a regional skilled theatre firm headquartered in downtown Richmond and is among the largest performing arts organizations in Central Virginia, with 4 venues and an academic touring arm. Virginia Rep seeks to entertain, problem, and uplift its communities via the ability of dwell theatre. As of 2022, Virginia Repertory Theatre had an approximate price range of $4.6 million.

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