BERKELEY, CALIF.: Aurora Theatre Company has chosen Josh Costello as its new artistic director, succeeding Tom Ross, who will depart in July after 15 years at the helm. Costello’s first task will be to choose the final play of Aurora’s 2019-20 season.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I am pleased to announce that Josh Costello has been selected to lead Aurora Theatre Company as the next artistic director,” said board president Gary Moore in a statement. “Josh is a tremendously talented artist, an advocate for inclusivity in the arts, and a beloved member of the Bay Area theatre community who understands the nuance of our local arts culture. He knows where Aurora’s been and he has a vision for where Aurora can go. I very much look forward to Aurora’s growth under his artistic leadership.”
Costello most recently served as the artistic director of Expanded Programs and Marin Theatre Company, where he headed the education and outreach programs. During his five-year tenure there, he also oversaw the commissioning program and directed productions, including My Children! My Africa!. His other directing credits include Eureka Day, The Heir Apparent, Detroit, and Wittenberg at Aurora Theatre Company; Ideation at San Francisco Playhouse, which received the Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Direction and was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick Off-Broadway; Eve and Steven at TheatreFirst; and Little Brother at Custom Made Theatre Company. Costello was the founding artistic director of Berkeley’s Impact Theatre, and he has taught at Cal Shakes, ACT, South Coast Rep, UC Riverside, Cal State Long Beach, SF Shakes, and Marin Shakespeare Company, among others. Costello holds a BFA in theatre from Boston University and an MFA in directing from the University of Washington, Seattle.
“I am honored and humbled at the prospect of leading Aurora into its next chapter,” said Costello in a statement. “Aurora has always been known for the quality of its work and for the compassion with which it treats its artists. We have a terrific staff, an engaged and passionate board that is enthusiastic about the changes that are coming for Aurora, and a family of the best artists in the Bay Area who know that Aurora gives them the support they need to do their best work. I look forward to continuing that legacy while initiating a new commitment to welcoming and inspiring our whole community.”
