Amy Wratchford has been appointed interim managing director at the Virginia Repertory Theatre, the company’s board of directors announced.

After more than a decade as managing director for the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va., Ms. Wratchford pivoted in early 2021 to launch The Wratchford Group, a nationally known arts management consultancy with regional theater clients throughout Virginia as well as Florida, California and Chicago.

As interim managing director of Virginia Repertory Theatre, Ms. Wratchford will join a seasoned leadership team that includes Artistic Director of Community Desiree Roots, Artistic Director of Education Todd D. Norris andArtistic Director of Programming Rick Hammerly.

“Amy has been immersed in the Virginia theater scene for 13 years and has a history with Virginia Rep, having participated in several of our strategic planning processes,” said Martha Quinn, Virginia Repertory Theatre board chair. “She has an incred- ible passion for the arts, deep compassion for the people who make a theater run, and a keen understanding of the role we play within our community. Her expertise in interim theater leadership, financial analysis and organizational structure assessment and reorganization is precisely what we need right now as we chart an exciting future and launch a national search for our next managing director.”

“I have a deep respect for Virginia Rep’s roots in the community that can be traced to its founding organizations – the Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV – and I am incredibly excited to help set the organization up for success in this new, post-pandemic era of non- profit theater,” Ms. Wratchford said. “In my 20-plus years managing nonprofit theaters, I’ve handled multiple transitions, and delight in helping organizations and their staff joyfully and effectively fulfill their mission. Virginia Rep’s needs and my skills are a good match.”