SAN ANTONIO: The Classic Theatre of San Antonio has announced the departure of artistic and executive director Kelly Hilliard Roush, who will leave the company effective June 1 to move to Minnesota with her family. As the company searches for its next executive and artistic director, Ruben Jauregui Jr. and Mark Stringham will serve as interim executive director and interim artistic director, respectively.

“Kelly breathes life into everything the theatre does,” said board chair Randy Stier in an Arts Alive San Antonio interview. “The board defined the vision and the mission for the Classic Theatre, but it’s her talent and drive that energize that mission. And she does that both on the artistic and management side. She reads lots of plays, pays attention to what’s going on in San Antonio, and picks the scripts that she feels are relevant to San Antonio audiences.”

Roush joined the Classic Theatre as executive director in 2015, being named to the dual role of executive and artistic director in 2018. Her tenure with the company has included six seasons of productions, including some productions that featured her work as a director as well as an actor, and her work leading the company’s pandemic adjustments, like producing outdoors at the San Antonio Botanical Garden in 2020. Additionally Roush has overseen a growing patron base, new programs like Camp Classic and the Community Conversations, and organizational partnerships with the Botanical Garden as well as San Antonio Symphony, Witte Museum, and DreamWeek.

Applications are currently open for the Classic Theatre of San Antonio’s next dual artistic and executive director.