Company History
Over its 25+ years, Aurora Theatre Company has “risen to become one of the most important regional theatres in the area” — San Francisco Chronicle.
Aurora Theatre Company was launched in 1992 by Barbara Oliver and a group of professional Bay Area theatre artists, following the successful premiere of Dorothy Bryant’s Dear Master. They sought to produce plays focused on “important ideas, mediated by language and people,” where actors and text took center stage, with design elements in support.
For its first nine seasons, Aurora performed at the Berkeley City Club in a 67-seat three-quarter thrust space. In 2001, with community, government, and foundation support, Aurora moved to a new 150-seat theater in Downtown Berkeley’s Arts District. In 2009, the company expanded further with the addition of the Nell & Jules Dashow Wing, which includes Harry’s UpStage, a 49-seat black box space.
Barbara Oliver led Aurora for 12 years before Tom Ross became Artistic Director in 2004. During his tenure, Tom launched the Global Age Project (later known as Originate+Generate), a new play development program. In 2019, Josh Costello succeeded him, continuing Aurora’s intimate, idea-driven storytelling while expanding community partnerships and broadening the range of voices represented onstage.
In 2025, in response to shifts across the theatre industry, Aurora’s Board of Directors made the decision to place the company in hibernation in order to reassess, stabilize, and plan for its next chapter. With the endorsement of former Artistic Directors Josh Costello and Tom Ross, Jennifer King was appointed Artistic Director and Jennifer Ruygt as Managing Director. Together with the Board, they are leading Aurora out of hibernation and toward a sustainable future.
As the company prepares for a return to production in 2027, Aurora remains committed to intimate, actor-centered storytelling and meaningful community engagement.
Aurora’s productions have garnered numerous regional honors, including the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards, the Theatre Bay Area Awards, and the Glickman Award for Best New Play in the Bay Area.
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