Quill Theatre

Richmond Theater Leadership Changes Hands

Quill Theatre's producing artistic director, Jan Powell, is stepping down from her duties at the Richmond, Virginia, theater as a result of a family medical concern that requires her to be out of the country. The board of directors and Powell agreed that her relinquishing the reins of the theater was the best course of action for both her and the company. Their mutual hope is that Powell will be able to return to the organization in the future, said a Quill Theatre statement.

The board of directors promoted Associate Artistic Director James Ricks as the organization's new artistic director. He will be joining Director of Operations Melissa Johnston Price in the running of the organization. Ricks has worked as an actor, director, and educator for more than 20 years in New York City, Washington, D.C, West Virginia, and Richmond. He also served as the artistic director of Richmond's Henley Street Theatre from 2009–2013, before Henley Street and Richmond Shakespeare merged to form Quill Theatre.

Locally, Ricks has directed for Quill Theatre, Henley Street Theatre, Firehouse Theatre, TheatreLAB, SPARC, and Sycamore Rouge Theatre. Last summer, he directed Quill Theatre's Love's Labour's Lost which garnered nominations for Best Play and Best Direction from the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle. Most recently he directed Quill's 2017–2018 season opener, Lysistrata, at the Dominion Arts Center.

May 10, 2018

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