Coterie Theatre names new leaders in aftermath of Jeff Church sexual abuse allegations
The Coterie Theatre has chosen new leaders more than two months after its former producing artistic director, Jeff Church, was accused of sexually assaulting young men for years and then died by suicide.
On Monday, the theater’s board of directors announced that longtime Kansas City actor Heidi Van, who got her start at the Coterie, will step into Church’s role until the board finishes its search for a permanent producing artistic director.
Jonathan Thomas, a native Kansas Citian who joined the Coterie as director of development in April, will become managing director.
He became interim managing director in November when longtime executive director Joette Pelster died just days after announcing retirement plans.
Thomas is a graduate of the University of Kansas who has spent most of his career in the local arts community, first as a professional singer with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Chorale and Kansas City Symphony, among others.
He moved into arts management and led development efforts at The Walden School in San Francisco, ArtsKC and the Lyric Opera before joining the Coterie.
“Jonathan has proven to be the right leader at a critical time for The Coterie Theatre,” Theresa Stoker, president of the theater’s board of directors, said Monday in a statement.
“He has demonstrated empathy and compassion for our grieving Coterie community while thoughtfully guiding our organization through a significant time of transition.”
Van, who creates and produces live theater, joined The Coterie in February. In a statement, she pledged “to lead in alignment with The Coterie’s values: using our voices, leading with love, and confronting injustice through storytelling and imagination.”
The allegations against Church rocked the local theater community. The man credited with helping build the Coterie into a children’s theater with a national reputation was found dead in his Kansas City home on Christmas Eve after allegations surfaced. He was 63.
Larry LaVigne, attorney for the Church estate, said Church died by suicide before he told his side of the story, which asserts that Church’s accusers were “consenting adults.” But experts in sexual abuse say that term is a common technique used to discredit survivors.
After Church died, the theater asked anyone with claims of misconduct to come forward as it carried out an independent investigation into the allegations. Claims against staff or cast members were to be sent to coterieinvestigation@gmail.com.
A Coterie spokesman said Monday that the independent outside investigator is nearly finished with a review of the allegations.
Once the board receives and reviews the findings, more information will be released, the spokesman said. No timeline was given.
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