Virginia Children's Theatre Appoints Interim Executive Director, April Hartsook Corbett

The board of directors for Virginia Children's Theatre (VCT) announced today that April Hartsook Corbett will become the Interim Executive Director for the Company effective immediately. Corbett will lead the organization through its 16th season and focus on increasing the already robust VCT Education programming and bringing productions back to the VCT stage.

In 15 short years, VCT has made a significant impact on the lives of youth and families across the region. 10,000 school children receive access to high quality live theatre at VCT each year, where professional productions are provided at a significantly reduced cost. VCT teaches theatre and performing arts to 19,000 youth who participate in Academy classes/camps, schools residencies and outreach; 50% of the students served are economically disadvantaged. VCT4TEENS, a health and social issue play produced by VCT, tours high schools and middle schools throughout the region each year. Each spring, a touring musical production is mounted and toured around Virginia to 60 different locations. A tuition-free summer camp, called Kaleidoscope Camp, is offered for young people with special needs. Corbett will work closely with the staff of VCT to maintain and elevate all of these programs.

“April is well known in the Roanoke Arts scene and her extensive experience working with professional, regional theatres, teaching the artists of tomorrow and managing events make her a perfect fit to spearhead this organization and get us back to the stage,” says Incoming VCT Board President Peg McGuire. “She has a rich history with VCT, the staff trusts her and many of our patrons already know her. Forging forward with this relationship made perfect sense and we are thrilled to have April with us.”

“My goal as Interim Executive Director is to meet the needs of ALL youth that we serve, where they are now. Everyone has a place at Virginia Children's Theatre,” says Corbett. “Theatre is a great tool to foster connection, spark conversation, and create growth. VCT has always been committed to inspiring, empowering, and transforming the lives of the youth and families in Virginia. I am ecstatic to help further this mission and ignite the spark of wonder in us all.”

April Hartsook Corbett has spent her life dedicated to working in non-profit and theatre arts. Her fondest memories as a child were being a part of theatre in Roanoke, Virginia. She is excited to have the opportunity to give back to the community that helped to give her the foundation to go on to work for some of the best regional theatre companies in the country, including the following: St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Omaha Community Playhouse, and Mill Mountain Theatre. She has been the Director of Theatre Arts at Roanoke Catholic School for the last ten years. She has led classes for pre-K to 12th grade students in drama; producing theatre showcases to full musical productions. April has also contributed to the productions of Virginia Children's Theatre for the last decade in the area of props construction. April previously served as the Development Director for FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is currently the Director of Operations and Events with Center in the Square. She graduated from Longwood College, in Farmville, VA with a BFA in technical theatre and also attended the Yale School of Drama internship program, in New Haven, CT. She is excited to help grow the mission of Virginia Children's Theatre and to help every student in the program develop the life skills that come from exploring and developing theatre skills.

Virginia Children's Theatre (VCT) is an independently owned and operated 501(c)3 organization located in Roanoke, Virginia. VCT is the only professional theatre in the commonwealth of Virginia solely dedicated to youth, schools and their families. VCT produces a variety of high caliber professional literature based musicals, concerts, and issue driven plays each season. These productions are produced in the Roanoke Valley and toured throughout the commonwealth of Virginia. The VCT Theatre Academy provides year-round high-quality music, theatre and dance education for students Pre-K through 12th grade through in-school residencies, in-house classes & camps and outreach across the commonwealth. VCT has a mission to inspire, empower and transform the community through the magic of live theatre!

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