Tom Ross to depart Aurora

Carey Perloff will depart American Conservatory Theater at the end of this season, to be replaced by Pam MacKinnon. Tony Taccone will step down from Berkeley Rep at the same time as Ross leaves the Aurora. And Robert Kelley will retire from Theatre Works after the 201920 season.

Among Ross’ accomplishments during his more than quarter-century with the company — where his other titles over the years have included general manager, managing director and producing director — are spearheading the construction of the Aurora’s 150-seat venue next to Berke “The ley Rep, where it moved in 2001 after performing in the Berkeley City Club; presiding over the construction of the company’s second, 49-seat upstairs performance space, Harry’s UpStage in the theater’s Dashow Wing; helping raise the theater’s annual budget to $2 million; and commissioning new plays through the company’s Global Age Project, recently reconstituted as its Originate + Generate program.

As a director, Ross has helmed many acclaimed productions at the Aurora, including Edward Albee’s “A Delicate Balance,” Steve Waters’ “Temple,” Rebecca Gilman’s “Luna Gale” and Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” and Homecoming.”

“Tom is so much of who Aurora is and has been,” says Managing Director Julie Saltzman Kellner in a statement. “He’s set the tone for the values of the organization: fairness, honesty, intelligence and creativity. I’ll miss working with him every day, but I know that he’ll have left a permanent mark on the company, and we’re all the better for it.”

A search committee is being created to find Ross’ successor.