Beginning on July 31, Dámaso Rodríguez will fill the role of Seattle Rep’s Artistic Director. Seattle Rep conducted a national search after Braden Abraham left the position in January 2023.
Rodriguez boasts over two decades of artistic leadership experience, including a remarkable nine-year stint as head of the Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland, Oregon. With a knack for producing classic works and nurturing new plays, he has captured audiences’ imaginations nationwide. Rodriguez’s legacy as a visionary in the arts remains an enduring inspiration for creative leaders everywhere.
“As we look ahead to our 60th birthday this fall, I am delighted to welcome Dámaso to Seattle Rep and partner with him to lead the Theater into its next sixty years of activity,” said Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. “All across the country, this is a time of significant upheaval but also tremendous opportunity for the performing arts, and I believe Dámaso’s artistic vision, deep commitment to community, and his personal integrity are precisely what we need at this moment of change. I am so excited for Seattle artists and audiences to get to know Dámaso, and I can’t wait for us to get started.”
Rodriguez, a Co-Founder of Furious Theatre in Los Angeles, has left an indelible mark on the city’s stage scene. Praised as “one of the fastest-rising ensembles in L.A. stage history” by LA Stage Magazine, Furious Theatre owes much of its success to his visionary leadership during his 11-year tenure as Co-Artistic Director.
Following this, Rodriguez embarked on an eight-season journey at Pasadena Playhouse, where he served as Associate Artistic Director under Sheldon Epps. The subsequent nine years saw him take the reins as the Artistic Director of Artists Rep, further solidifying his reputation as an artistic trailblazer.
In recent years, Rodriguez has expanded his horizons as the Vice President of Arts Consulting Group. During this time, he has provided strategic guidance to theaters across the United States, navigating the challenges of a post-COVID world and gaining valuable insights into nationwide production dynamics.
Throughout his multifaceted career, Dámaso’s vision and expertise have been instrumental in shaping the landscape of theatre, making him a true pioneer and a driving force in the industry.
“I am honored to be joining Seattle Rep and building upon its storied, vibrant, and vital legacy,” said Rodriguez. “Seattle Rep’s boldly stated vision of ‘theater at the heart of public life’ is exhilarating in its simplicity, ambition, and absolute necessity. I look forward to collaborating with Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann, the staff, board, patrons, partners, volunteers, and Seattle’s extraordinary theater community to devise Seattle Rep’s next chapter.”