Trademark Theater Names Merritt Rodriguez as New Managing Director

TRADEMARKTHEATER is welcoming Merritt Rodriguez as the company's Managing Director in advance of its ninth season of art-making. She enters the position on August 4, 2025 at the new works company. 

“This is an important step forward for Trademark, and one that has taken nearly a year of planning to build toward.” Artistic Director Tyler Michaels King shares. “This new role will help us to grow our company, increasing Trademark's impact with the artists we serve as well as our patrons and supporters. In short, it means more adventurous art for the Twin Cities.” The staffing expansion to include a Managing Director is a first for Trademark, evolving from a dual artistic leadership model that the company was founded on.

Merritt Rodriguez studied Theater Production at Florida State University and moved to the Twin Cities in 2012. After a successful freelance career, she became the Production Manager for Penumbra Theatre Company in 2016 transitioning to the Guthrie Theater in 2019 as the Development and Events Production Manager. During the pandemic, she stepped away from theater to support Minnesota's state initiatives providing testing and vaccination to the community at large. This distinctive experience shifted her career to organization strategy and operations. She now joins the Trademark team. 

“I am honored to be joining the innovative and ambitious team at Trademark,” Rodriguez says. “The artistic excellence and integrity Trademark maintains while developing new and relevant work is directly aligned with my own artistic ethos and practice. I cannot wait to serve the arts community including our patrons, donors and artists in my new capacity as Managing Director. I look forward to expanding our reach, connectivity and impact.” 

Incoming Board Chair David Orbuch shares the Board's enthusiasm for Rodriguez's hiring: “We are excited for Merritt's leadership in supporting our effort of telling bold stories by creating, developing and producing new works that entertain, challenge and inspire our community.”

“I can think of no one better to take on this role,” says Michaels King. “Merritt has been alongside Trademark for nearly a year now, serving in several different capacities, the biggest of which was acting as Producer/Production Manager for Cutting Room Floor Vol. 2, our annual Cabaret and Fundraiser which stands as the most successful fundraising event in our company's history. She has a complete talent for advancing our non-profit, caring for our artists and patrons, and supporting us in making the best art possible. She so clearly matches the core values of our company and I'm thrilled to welcome her into this senior position.” 

Trademark supporters and patrons can meet Trademark's new Managing Director at their Season Launch event taking place on July 14th, 2025 from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Broken Clock Brewing Cooperative. The event is free to attend. Details on that event can be found on Trademark's website.