Actors Theatre of Louisville Confirms Leadership Appointments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                               Actors Theatre of Louisville Confirms Leadership Appointments
  Amelia Acosta Powell and Emily Tarquin named Artistic Director & Managing Director

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Louisville, KY – September 15, 2025 — Actors Theatre of Louisville is stepping into a new era of creative energy and community connection with the appointment of Amelia Acosta Powell as Artistic Director and Emily Tarquin as Managing Director, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors.

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Chosen for their wide-ranging, complementary expertise, Acosta Powell and Tarquin plan to honor the organization's legacy, build upon the momentum of the current season, and lead in service of the theatre's mission centering community, wonder, and joy.

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Acosta Powell and Tarquin helm an exciting 2025–26 season that offers a world premiere rooted in U.S. History (FDR’s Very Happy Hour), a new theatrically thrilling family-friendly spectacle for the Halloween season (Dead as a Dodo), the return of a holiday tradition (A Christmas Carol), and the launch of the Storytelling Revolution Festival, a celebration of locally-grown new works in partnership with Louisville Fringe.

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Acosta Powell and Tarquin center their approach as a team on the irreplaceable experience of artists and audiences sharing imagination together in real time. As cultural stewards of Actors Theatre of Louisville, they aim to serve communities throughout the city, welcoming both longtime and first-time theatergoers. They embrace Actors Theatre’s role as the State Theatre of Kentucky, while collaborating across Louisville’s arts ecosystem to make the Main Street theatre complex a vibrant community hub for creativity and lifelong learning.  

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"We are thrilled to welcome Amelia and Emily to their new leadership roles," said Mac Thompson, President of the Actors Theatre of Louisville Board. "Their complementary strengths, visionary thinking, and deep commitment to both artists and audiences uniquely position them to guide the theatre into an exciting new chapter!"

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Both new leaders bring extensive experience as trailblazers and architects of institutional innovation in the national theatre field. Acosta Powell, an acclaimed director, served as the Associate Artistic Director of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and has held leadership roles at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Arena Stage. Additionally, she created and produced the 2022 Latinx Theatre Commons Comedy Carnaval, a national convening of theatre-makers and performances. At Actors Theatre, Acosta Powell has contributed significantly as Impact Producer and director of multiple productions, shaping artistic programming while supporting the theatre’s civic and community initiatives.

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Before joining Actors Theatre, Tarquin co-founded Off-Center, the immersive theatre arm of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, played key roles in producing the Colorado New Play Summit and Festival, and served as Director of Theatre for Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School. At Actors Theatre, Tarquin has demonstrated sustained leadership across the organization, taking on critical roles in Finance, Development, External Relations, and operational strategy.

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With support from cultural strategist Christen Boone and the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, led by Michael Kaiser, they will also strengthen the theatre’s sustainability and community impact through a strategic planning process that will look at the current year as well as years to come.  

With a commitment to joy, belonging, and the human-to-human alchemy of live performance, Tarquin and Acosta Powell are ready to lead Actors Theatre into a vibrant new chapter that sparks hope, fosters community, and uplifts every corner of Louisville.

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More about Amelia Acosta Powell (she/her)
Acosta Powell holds her Masters from Georgetown University and brings more than a decade of leadership experience from the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Arena Stage. She has directed world premieres including La Egoista (at Actors Theatre of Louisville) and The Gradient and has earned St. Louis Theatre Circle Award nominations for her direction of The Thanksgiving Play and August: Osage County.  

At Actors Theatre, she has also directed Every Brilliant Thing, Loving and Loving, and Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. Acosta Powell was an inaugural grantee of TCG’s Rising Leaders of Color and serves on the steering committee of the Latinx Theatre Commons. She is also a member of the Casting Society of America as well as a graduate of Leadership Louisville’s Alice Houston Women’s Leadership Program and the Shannon Leadership Institute.

Acosta Powell relocated to Louisville in 2021 and quickly became active with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. She lives in the Original Highlands where she enjoys sampling all the vegetarian culinary options and walking in the beautiful parks.

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More about Emily Tarquin (they/them)
Tarquin is a seasoned leader with expertise at the intersection of creative producing, business administration, and strategic innovation. With a career focused in the performing arts and nonprofit sector, Tarquin has overseen complex operations, financial stewardship, and community-driven programming, bringing creativity and discipline to every project. They are also currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Bellarmine University to further strengthen their organizational leadership expertise. In their former role as Executive Producer, Tarquin shepherded productions, rentals, and special events from concept to execution — managing budgets, cultivating donor and partner relationships, and ensuring alignment with institutional values. Their ability to bridge creative vision with operational discipline has made them a trusted collaborator for artists, boards, and community stakeholders alike.

Emily’s management history reflects a talent for leading organizations through growth and change. This is exemplified in their co-creation of the immersive arm of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Off-Center and their participation in the Innovation Lab through the Doris Duke Foundation. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design, the Shannon Leadership Institute, and a proud member of the Leadership Louisville Class of 2023, Emily is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Bellarmine University.

Beyond their professional work, Emily serves as a board member of the Louisville Tool Library, where they champion community access and resource sharing. Emily resides in the Crescent Hill neighborhood, with their partner and two dogs.

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