Company History
THEN
Oklahoma City Repertory Theater was established in 2001 by founding company members Ruth Charnay, Jonathan Beck Reed, Charlotte Franklin, Kirk Rogers, Marcellus Hankins, James Tyra, Michael Jones, Russell Webster, Elaine Pfleiderer, Jackie West, Michele Wilson, and founding Artistic Director Donald Jordan. Over the next two decades, OKC Rep produced 77 productions, including classic revivals of plays and musicals, regional premieres, and co-productions with area universities. Under Jordan’s tenure, OKC Rep received several awards including recognition from Actors’ Equity (2010), the Governor’s Arts Award (2011), and the American Theatre Wing named OKC Rep among its National Theater Awards in 2012.
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After twenty years as OKC Rep’s artistic director, Jordan announced that he would retire in 2021. On July 31, 2021, Jordan’s retirement party was hosted at the historic Colcord Hotel where many of his friends, colleagues, and collaborators from the past two decades came to share stories and celebrate his new title: Artistic Director Emeritus.
NOW
On July 6, 2021, Kelly Kerwin became OKC Rep’s second Artistic Director and led the theater through the pandemic. So far, Kerwin has reenvisioned a new mission, core values, sustainability plans, a new staffing structure, and she has worked to make all aspects of OKC Rep more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. She has also implemented sliding scale and pay-what-you-can ticket prices for all performances.
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OKC Rep now has a presenting/producing model and champions artists from around the globe and locally.
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In 2023, Emily Comisar joined OKC Rep as the Managing Director, and together these two women co-lead the organization.
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