Ally Theatre Company’s Board of Directors announced today that Ty Hallmark, Founder and current Artistic Director will step down effective December 31, 2021. Succeeding Ms. Hallmark in the position will be Lori Pitts, the Founder and Executive Director of Voices Unbarred, an organization which uses theatrical tools to help amplify the voices of those currently and formerly incarcerated. As the new Artistic Director, Ms. Pitts will continue to operate Voices Unbarred as Ally’s main program.

“Since its inception, Ally has been an organization committed to confronting and acknowledging systemic oppression in America. With Lori’s appointment to the Artistic Director position, the company has an opportunity to specify this work by uplifting and engaging a population that is often excluded from the artistic community,” says Ms. Hallmark

Lori Pitts is a facilitator, Theatre of the Oppressed Joker, teaching artist, actor, director, and improvisor in the DMV area. She is passionate about creating platforms for voices that often go unheard. In addition to her work with Voices Unbarred, Pitts teaches and performs regularly with Young Playwrights’ Theater and has most recently been seen on stage with Second City, Rorschach Theatre, and Ally Theatre. She completed Georgetown University’s Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program, is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Culture Caucus with The Kennedy Center, a graduate of the 202Creates Fellowship, a graduate of the Movement Matters Community Organizing & Popular Education Institute, and a three-time recipient of the Arts and Humanities Fellowship Program grant through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities for her work within the community.

“I am thrilled to be stepping into this Artistic Director role. I deeply appreciate Ally’s approach of reaching out, supporting each other, and sharing resources; it shows dedication to the values they have laid out in their mission. We share a commitment to addressing systemic oppression, and the best way to make an impact on the system is by coming together. This transition is a great opportunity to support the community in a stronger, bold way. I’m excited to continue to amplify the voices of those impacted by incarceration and strengthen the advocacy we can do through this role,” says Ms. Pitts.

Planning for summer and fall programming is underway. Details on a collaborative public performance project between Ally company members and Voices Unbarred participants will be announced later this year.

For more Information visit allytheatrecompany.com and voicesunbarred.org.

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias, to books, to dictionaries, to magazines. I’m also an avid consumer of television, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my life-long journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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