Aurora Theatre Names Kirsten King as Director of Education

When longtime Aurora Theatre staff member Renita James received the news that she had been accepted into the prestigious University of Texas at Austin, Drama for Theatre, Youth and Communities program, a nationwide search was on to find her successor. As the second-largest professional theatre in Georgia, Aurora Theatre, today announced Kirsten King has been appointed as Director of Education. Handpicked from an impressive group of candidates, Ms. King will oversee all aspects of Aurora Theatre's robust education program including curriculum development, production talkback coordination, supervising and teaching the Apprentice Company and collaborating with educational partners like Georgia Gwinnett College and the School of the Arts at Central Gwinnett.

"I am honored to be joining the Aurora Theatre community and look forward to meeting and working with all of the students, their families, our patrons and art theatre lovers far and wide as we take Aurora to the next level and into the future. I'm inspired by the potential in my new position to continue the great work being done here," said the newly appointed Aurora Theatre Director of Education Kirsten King. "As a proud Black woman at the crossroads of compounding marginalized groups in the world and the professional arena, it's often that my work is appropriated instead of appreciated and it's an honor to be added to a team of professionals that will respect, protect, uplift and amplify my voice, my vision and my perspective. Aurora is ready to do the work and I'm excited to join the team. The future is now and it looks like all of us."

Renita James is an alumnus of the inaugural 2013 Aurora Theatre Apprentice Program and returned as a full-time staff member in 2016. In the five years as a team member, her accomplishments are significant, her passion and dedication to the youth of Gwinnett will be sorely missed. Ms. James leaves a legacy of profound impact on the arts education outreach of Aurora Theatre. Some of her highlights include growing the Teen Nation program, specifically the peer-created LGBTQ resource list; the STEM on Stage program at Central Gwinnett High School; creation of Petite Players acting classes for pre-school students and the public speaking program that has become a part of the curriculum standard at Five Forks Middle School. Renita plans to explore opportunities internationally in the world of Theatre for Youth and to find deeper ways to bring the arts to communities completing her studies.

Outgoing Director of Education, Renita James said this about her time at the organization, "I have so loved working with all the community members, families, and patrons that have come to the Aurora. It has been an honor to watch these programs and students grow and I am so excited to see what the future hold for Aurora Theatre."

Kirsten King Bio:

Kirsten graduated from Auburn University in 2006 with a BFA in Theatre Performance before pursuing her education further at Circle in The Square Summer Conservatory in New York. Kirsten has spent the past decade in the metro Atlanta area serving as an educator, actor, activist, arts administrator, comedian, writer, host and improviser. Amongst her most notable achievements, she conceived a multi-tiered program as the first Youth Programs Director at a non-profit in Old 4th Ward, where she created, managed, and taught both the summer camp program and the year-round youth and teen training ensembles. She strives to not only bring a piece of herself to every stage, set, and learning space, but also makes it a point to not only teach students but to educate the person that student will become. Some of the places Kirsten has worked with are Alliance Theatre Education Department, Georgia Shakespeare, Actor's Express, Dark Side of The Room, The Center for Civic Innovation, Kate's Club, The Center for Puppetry Arts, The Austin Improvised Play Festival, The Home Depot, Hartmann Studios, Rapid Fire Theatre, The Ocean State Improv Festival, Momentum Arts, Atlanta Public Schools, The Stumptown Improv Festival, Atlanta Black Excellence Photo Series and The Moth Atlanta.

For more information on programming, please call the Box Office at 678.226.6222 or visit auroratheatre.com.

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