Ben Rose, artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theatre Company (IBTC), has resigned following domestic battery charges.
Rose was hired in 2023 to lead the IBTC, a resident theater company housed within the District Theatre that focuses on uplifting Black stories.
Charges were filed against Rose on March 5 on three counts: strangulation, a level 6 felony; domestic battery, a class a misdemeanor; and battery resulting in bodily injury, a class a misdemeanor.
Rose is expected to appear in court on April 9.
In a statement sent to the Recorder on March 10, The District Theatre (TDT) and IBTC board members Stephen Farris and Joe Chapelle said the boards took immediate action upon learning of the charges of domestic violence made against Rose.
“The charges are incredibly serious and stand in direct contradiction to the values of IBTC and TDT, and we take these matters extremely seriously,” Farris and Chapelle wrote in a statement. “We do not condone, nor will we ever tolerate, any form of relational or domestic violence. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive environment for all individuals, both within and outside of our workplace.”
Rose declined to comment at this time when reached by email. However, in an email to the Recorder on April 2, Rose said, “As of March 10th I resigned as the IBTC Artistic Director. My contract as a consultant through The District Theater was then terminated as a result of my resignation. I have been voluntarily assisting them in the transition since that point.”
Pauline Moffat, managing director of the District Theatre, later confirmed Rose’s resignation in an email to the Recorder.
“We remain focused on supporting our teams, our missions and the communities we serve while addressing this matter appropriately,” according to the statement from Farris and Chapelle.
This story is ongoing and will continue to update.
A previous version of this story published a statement from the IBTC stating that Ben Rose was terminated from his position as artistic director of the IBTC, which was incorrect. The story has been updated accordingly. The Recorder makes every effort to report accurately with firsthand information.
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