Virginia Stage Company Receives Perry Family Gift for Endowed Artistic Director Role

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The Norfolk-based theatre's Perry Producing Artistic Director role will be held by Tom Quaintance.

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Virginia Stage Company announced a landmark investment in its future: the establishment of its first-ever endowed leadership position, the Perry Producing Artistic Director, made possible through a major gift from the Perry family.

The endowment permanently supports the role currently held by Producing Artistic Director Tom Quaintance, ensuring long-term artistic leadership for the region's largest professional theatre company.

“This is a defining moment for Virginia Stage Company,” said Quaintance. “An endowed position like this provides stability, continuity, and the ability to plan boldly for the future. It allows us to focus not just on the next production, but on the next generation of storytelling in Hampton Roads.”

The Perry family's gift marks the first time Virginia Stage Company has endowed a leadership role, placing the organization among a select group of arts institutions nationwide with permanently funded artistic leadership.

“We believe deeply in the power of the arts to enrich and connect communities,” said Pat Perry. “Virginia Stage Company plays a vital role in the cultural life of Hampton Roads, and we are proud to support its future by endowing this leadership position.”

An endowed position ensures that funding for the role exists in perpetuity, strengthening the organization's long-term financial health while safeguarding its artistic vision.

Under Quaintance's leadership, Virginia Stage Company has expanded its artistic programming, deepened community partnerships, and increased access to live theatre across Hampton Roads.

The Perry family has long supported arts and cultural organizations throughout the region, including the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk Botanical Garden, and the Virginia Arts Festival, among others.

Founded in 1978, Virginia Stage Company is the largest professional theatre company in Hampton Roads, serving more than 30,000 patrons annually through a season of mainstage productions, education programs, and community engagement initiatives.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/norfolk/article/Virginia-Stage-Company-Secures-First-Ever-Endowed-Leadership-Position-with-Perry-Family-Gift-20260521)._