Following a national search, Virginia Repertory Theatre welcomes its artistic directors, Desirée Roots, Todd D. Norris and Rick Hammerly, who will steer all artistic aspects of Central Virginia’s flagship professional theatre, according to William H. Carter, Chair-Elect of the Board and Chair of the Selection Committee.
“In addition to the selection of our theatrical programming, Virginia Rep’s artistic leadership will now include a focus on community engagement and the development of our next generation of theatre artists and audiences,” Carter said.
“In moving forward and adapting to our evolving industry, we believe Virginia Repertory Theatre’s artistic leadership will be best served by the appointment of these three co-equal Artistic Directors, focusing on Community, Education and Programming,” he added.
Desirée Roots was first named Artistic Director of Community in November 2021 and works on programs that connect youth with community health and wellness programs, as well as the theatre’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access programming. She is now joined by Todd D. Norris, Artistic Director of Education, and Rick Hammerly, Artistic Director of Programming.
“We’re extremely pleased with our selection and the dedicated work of our committee. Forty-three candidates from 20 states requested consideration during the process that began last June 2021. Of the candidates, 51% were from the East Coast, 33% from Mid-Central, and 16% from the West,“ Carter said.
“Before Theatre IV and Barksdale Theatre merged to become Virginia Rep, Theatre IV’s mission was to seek national caliber excellence equally in four areas: the arts, education, children’s health and community leadership. This mission inspired Theatre IV’s name, and these commitments continue to serve as the pillars of Virginia Rep’s operations today,” Carter added.
“In 1975, we were decades ahead of our time,” Managing Director Phil Whiteway stated. “The pressure then was to be focused solely on the art. Today, we are proud to recommit to the entirety of our community. We believe it’s more important than ever to provide excellence in the arts, education, children’s health and community leadership as we seek to enhance Virginia Rep’s wide-ranging impact on RVA, and to ensure a strong and stable business model.”
Todd D. Norris, Artistic Director of Education
Norris is an American theatre director, educator, writer and actor. He served as president of the International Museum Theatre Alliance and continues to act as an advisor.
Norris comes to Virginia Rep from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, IN where he was named Associate Vice President of Interpretation and Family Programs in 2018 to oversee cooperation between the Museum Theatre and Interpretation department and the Public Events and Family Programs department. He previously served as Director of Interpretation at the world’s largest children’s museum from 2013 – 2018. While there, he was responsible for fiscal management, artistic direction for its professional children’s theatre seasons, coordinating holistic approaches to gallery performances in collaboration with exhibit design staff, and overseeing quality for hundreds of daily programs delivered by 35 full and part-time interpretive staff and actor interpreters.
Norris was instrumental in creating and implementing new Early Childhood Theatre performances, and developed a five-year plan for the museum to preserve and enhance its reputation for high-quality museum performances in the gallery and theatre spaces.
From 2003-2013, Norris worked at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, eventually becoming Senior Manager of Performance Interpretation, the administrative leader of their performing arts and character-based presentations including Historic Area street theatre programs, 18th century theatrical productions and evening programs. While at Colonial Williamsburg, he also acted in several episodes of their Emmy-Award winning Electronic Field Trips.
Some of the unique programs he developed and managed were a large-scale Holiday Palace Ball, 18th century plays, concerts, tours and demonstrations. Norris was a specialist in training museum interpreters with regard to voice, presentation skills, character development, guest services and the original restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.
He has taught and directed at several schools including The College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, Alice Lloyd College and Wright State University. Norris also was president of the International Museum Theatre Alliance from 2019 – 2021, and vice president for two years prior to that.
He was born in Columbus, OH, and received his MFA in Acting from University of Louisville, Louisville, KY and his BA in Theatre Performance, with a minor in music, from the University of Findlay, Findlay, OH. He is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
As Artistic Director of Education, Norris will lead all programming for children, families and schools. Alongside Artistic Director of Community (Desirée Roots), he will co-lead Virginia Rep’s award-winning Community Health + Wellness program, which creates, implements and assesses model projects that demonstrate how theatre can be used as an effective tool in addressing critical educational and societal challenges.
Rick Hammerly, Artistic Director of Programming
Hammerly has worked as an award-winning, DC-based actor, director, filmmaker, and arts manager for over three decades.
He received a 2018 Helen Hayes Award for his direction of Lela & Co. and a 2020 Helen Hayes Award nomination for his direction of Agnes of God, both for Factory 449. Other directing credits include Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue’s The Brontes (New York Musical Theatre Festival), Reykjavik (Rorschach Theatre), Emilie: La Marquise du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight (WSC Avant Bard), Driving Miss Daisy featuring Karen Grassle (Riverside Center for the Performing Arts), Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook (Adventure Theatre MTC), Dead Man Walking (American University) and Closet Land (Factory 449). In 2015/16, he was selected to participate in The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s inaugural Directors’ Studio program.
As an actor, he has performed Off-Broadway and regionally, receiving a Helen Hayes Award for his turn as Hedwig in Signature Theatre’s production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as well as nominations for his work in Angels in America (Signature Theatre), Me and Jezebel (MetroStage) and Oliver! (Adventure Theatre MTC). For ten years, he played Mr. Fezziwig in Ford’s Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol and was most recently seen as Miss Tracy Mills in Round House Theatre’s The Legend of Georgia McBride.
His debut film, signage, which he wrote, directed, and produced, has screened in over 60 film festivals worldwide, receiving 6 film festival awards and was subsequently licensed by MTV’s LOGO Channel.
Hammerly is a founder and the current Producing Artistic Director of Factory 449, a professional, DC-based theatre company created in 2009. Factory 449 is the recipient of multiple Helen Hayes Awards, including the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company. Additionally, he is the current Executive Director of the Washington Area Performing Arts Video Archive (WAPAVA).
Hammerly is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). He received a BA in Theatre from the University of Virginia, an MA in Film & Video Production from American University, and has completed the coursework for an MA in Arts Management, also from AU.
As Artistic Director of Programming, Hammerly will lead all programming for adult audiences (Signature Season, Hanover Season, Cadence Season), staff the Board’s Governance Committee, liaise with and advocate for all adult audience programming participants; and manage the on-going strategic planning process and curatorial team. He will liaise with the national theatre industry and RVA theatre, as well as all Virginia colleges and universities.
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Virginia Repertory Theatre is a regional professional theater headquartered in downtown Richmond, and one of the largest performing arts organizations in Central Virginia. Virginia Rep stages four seasons annually: the Signature Season at the Sara Belle and Neil November Theatre, the Children’s Season, the Hanover Tavern Season, and the Theatre Gym Season produced in partnership with Cadence Theatre Company. Virginia Rep also tours, both virtually and live, and provides educational programming to schools throughout Virginia and to major performing arts centers throughout 32 states.
