Aurora Theatre announced the appointment of long-time veteran Katie Pelkey to the role of General Manager, where she will oversee daily operations, budget and revenue of the $2.9 million non-profit operation. David Koté will also become the theater’s new Director of Education/Artistic Associate. Koté is an award-winning director, actor and educator who brings extensive experience to the creative team of the fastest-growing professional theater in Georgia. In this new role, he will oversee Aurora Theatre’s education program, including directing overall development, supervising artists and interns as well as teaching Acting Apprentice Company classes.

“We are proud to have the exceptional talents of Katie and David on board during this important time in our company’s growth,” said Anthony Rodriguez, Aurora Theatre’s Co-Founder and Producing Artistic Director. “Katie, having been a part of our family for 11 years, has worked side-by-side with our team, earning her way to this executive position. As a business expert, we look forward to the new ways she will lead the day-to-day operations of Aurora Theatre. As an artist, she will continue making every actor, musician, designer and director feel welcome while upholding our artistic vision. David’s zeal for engaging underrepresented populations will also be critical in allowing us to continue our mission of serving the most diverse county in the Southeast. As an educator, he will expand our educational services at all levels and as an associate artist, he will be part of the executive artistic team who will be responsible for season selection, organizational growth and artistic excellence.”

Katie Pelkey has worked with the team at Aurora Theatre for 12 years, serving in a variety of roles, including Company Manager, Resident Stage Manager and Educational Resources Associate. During her time at Aurora, she created the highly successful Stage Management and Costume Apprentice Company program that operates simultaneously with Aurora’s Acting Apprentice Company program. For over a decade, Pelkey served as Production Stage Manager for New Plays for Young Audiences, a prestigious Theatre for Young Audiences summer staged reading series based at New York University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Educational Theatre from New York University with a minor in Dramatic Literature.

David Koté began his studies at Tri-Cities High School of Visual and Performing Arts and the acclaimed Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. His theater credits span South Africa, Belgium, Amsterdam and all over the United States, including time on the stage – in performances such as Jitney, Pill Hill, In the Red and Brown Water, Purlie, Flyin’ West, Once on this Island, Times, The Last Season, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, My Children! My Africa! and Macbeth. He has also appeared on the screen in HBO's “A Lesson Before Dying,” CBS's “Mama Flora's Family” and TNT's “Passing Glory.” Prior to this position, Koté served as Director of Theater Arts at Tri-Cities High School Visual and Performing Arts Magnet where he received many awards for his work, including The Charles Loridans Foundation for excellence and leadership in theater education. Koté's recent production of The Color Purple at Actor's Express is winner of six Suzi Bass Awards including Outstanding Production Musical and Outstanding Direction Musical. Koté earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Speech and Theatre Arts from Dillard University and Masters in Fine Arts in Directing from Indiana University.