AURORA | The Aurora Fox Arts Center has named well-known regional theater executive Lisa Rigsby Peterson as its interim manager of theater operations, city officials said Wednesday.
“Throughout her accomplished career in the arts, Lisa has balanced creative excellence in theater with the steady leadership and developing of high-performing teams in the performing arts field,” city Library and Cultural Services Director Ginger White Brunetti said in a statement. “At this important point for the Aurora Fox, Lisa will help ensure the successful continuation of Season 41 alongside a talented team, while also leading a comprehensive assessment of the arts center’s operating model.”
Former Fox producer Rich Cowden left the position earlier this year without explanation from the city. He followed producer Helen R. Murray, credited with elevating the Fox to one of the top regional theaters in the Front Range.
Rigsby Peterson brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in professional theater and performing arts.
She previously served as the founding executive director of the Lone Tree Arts Center for more than a decade and as executive director of the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen for three years. Both venues are municipally owned and operated, similar to the Aurora Fox. Her background also includes leadership roles with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Curious Theatre Company and Phamaly Theatre Company. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management from Yale University.
Rigsby Peterson said she looks forward to helping guide the theater’s future.
“In my career, I have seen the transformative power of the arts again and again — in the face of national crises, a worldwide pandemic, and, perhaps most importantly, in everyday life,” she said. “To work alongside colleagues with Aurora’s Library and Cultural Services Department and help steer the Aurora Fox toward its next chapter is incredibly exciting.”
Rigsby Peterson work directly with White Brunetti on analyses and productions, officials said.
The Aurora Fox is preparing for its second Season 41 production, “Fat Ham,” which opens March 27 under the direction of donnie l. betts.
In addition to overseeing current operations, Rigsby Peterson will conduct a professional assessment of the theater to help inform planning for the 2027 season, budget development and future organizational direction.
The appointment is a limited-term assignment through Dec. 31.
Season 41 will continue with “Violet” from June 5 to June 28, “Feeding Beatrice” from Oct. 2 to Nov. 1, and “Hank Williams: Lost Highway” from Dec. 4 to Jan. 4, 2027.
An anchor in Aurora’s Cultural Arts District, the Aurora Fox Arts Center opened in 1946 as the city’s only movie theater. After a fire, it was restored and reopened in 1985 as a city-owned performing arts center. Today, the venue features a 217-seat mainstage and a 72-seat studio theater and produces five mainstage shows each season, along with educational programs and classes.
The Aurora Fox Arts Center is a Science and Cultural Facilities District Tier II program.