Skip to main content Skip to footer site map

Adrian Hall, Trinity Repertory Company Founding Artistic Director, Passes Away at 95

Hall led Trinity Rep from its first production in 1964 through 1989.

Adrian Hall, Trinity Repertory Company Founding Artistic Director, Passes Away at 95

Adrian Hall, 95, the founding artistic director of Trinity Repertory Company died on February 4, 2023 at his home in Van, Texas. Hall led Trinity Rep from its first production in 1964 through 1989. For the final six years of his tenure at Trinity Rep, he also served as the artistic leader of the Dallas Theater Center in Texas. In 1989, he turned to freelance directing and teaching, which continued to keep him in active in the American theater for decades.

"Adrian Hall was a visionary artist, not only in the way he challenged the aesthetic limits of the stage, but also in the challenging subject matter he produced as artistic director," current artistic director Curt Columbus said. "With Adrian at the helm of Trinity from the late 1960s onward, the work onstage addressed topics that were rarely discussed in public forums at the time - the persecution of gays and lesbians, the legacy of slavery and its impact on how we deal with race in America, the limits of democracy and freedom, and so much more. His boundary-breaking vision for the theater as a public square is the greatest legacy that he left us, one that we will continue to carry forward."

In 1963, a group of Rhode Islanders, interested in forming a professional regional theater in Providence, recruited Adrian Hall, a New York-based director originally from Texas, to be the artistic leader of the nascent company. By the next year, the theater began performing at Trinity United Methodist Church, located on Broad Street in Providence.

During the two and a half decades under his leadership, Trinity Rep grew and thrived. In 1966, the company received substantial funding from the newly founded National Endowment for the Arts to fund the landmark Project Discovery program, which allowed high school students from all over the state to attend professional live theater for free. This brought a fair amount of attention to the theater, both in the state as well as nationally, and the funding from the NEA also helped to stabilize the theater's financial health. In 1968, Trinity Rep became the first American theater company to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland.

Hall led the efforts to move the company into a larger space. The company purchased and renovated Emery's Majestic Theater on Washington Street in downtown Providence and in 1973, moved to its present home, the Lederer Theater Center. Later that decade, Hall laid the groundwork for Trinity Rep's commitment to actor and director training, starting the Trinity Rep Conservatory in 1977. This program would later evolve into the current Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program.

Trinity Rep's reputation continued to grow, culminating in the company receiving the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater Company in 1981. During the next decade, the theater produced four television productions for PBS, toured India and Syria, and continued to show a strong commitment to the development of new works.

Adrian Hall's impact is still present at Trinity Rep. His annual production of A Christmas Carol has now been part of Rhode Island's holiday tradition for more than four decades. Hall's vision of creating a brand-new production each year with a new cast, director, and design team has led the company to consistently produce one of the most highly-attended productions of the show in the country. In addition, Hall developed the Trinity Rep aesthetic with longtime collaborator Eugene Lee, who remains the company's resident scenic designer. Their approach to design and direction remains an important part of Trinity Rep today and has led the audience to expect the unexpected from the company's designs, staging, and performances.

Trinity Repertory Company

Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater, Trinity Rep has created unparalleled professional theater for and with its community since its founding in 1963. Trinity Rep strives to facilitate human connection and has been a driving force behind the creativity that fuels and defines the region for more than 50 years.

Trinity Rep is committed to reinventing the public square and inspiring dialogue by creating emotionally stimulating live productions that range from classical to contemporary and innovative education programs for all ages and abilities. Its annual production of A Christmas Carol has brought families together for more than four decades and made memories for nearly two million audience members.

Trinity Rep's 2022-23 Season runs through June 2023, and includes productions of The Inheritance, A Christmas Carol, By the Queen, The Inferior Sex, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. For more information, visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.



The Rhode Island Philharmonic to Present THE RITE OF SPRING Featuring Violinist James Ehne Photo
The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will present The Rite of Spring on Saturday, April 15th, at 8:00pm at The VETS, Providence.

Review: THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY at Providence Performing Arts Center Photo
What did our critic think of THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY at Providence Performing Arts Center?

Christopher Mallett to Release The First Major Recording of Justin Hollands Music Photo
Naxos is presenting San Francisco-based guitarist Christopher Mallett's new release championing the music of Justin Holland, America's first Black classical guitarist who made his name during the time of slavery. Titled Justin Holland, Guitar Works and Arrangements, “trailblazer' Mallett (The St. Louis Dispatch) deftly performs on this landmark recording featuring several world premieres.

KIDZ BOP Announces All-New 2023 Tour, Including A Stop At PPAC On June 27 Photo
KIDZ BOP Never Stops in 2023!  KIDZ BOP, the #1 music brand for kids, brings its brand-new tour, KIDZ BOP Never Stop, to the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 for one show at 7P.  


More Hot Stories For You


2023 Newport Classical Music Festival Comes to Newport This Summer2023 Newport Classical Music Festival Comes to Newport This Summer
March 21, 2023

The 2023 Newport Classical Music Festival will present twenty-six concerts this summer between July 4-23, 2023, bringing timeless music for today to Newport's stunning historic mansions and venues including The Breakers, Blithewold Mansion, The Elms, Castle Hill Inn, Chinese Tea House, King Park, Norman Bird Sanctuary, Redwood Library & Athenæum, and more.

DRAMATIS PERSONA Comes to RISE Playhouse Next MonthDRAMATIS PERSONA Comes to RISE Playhouse Next Month
March 17, 2023

The Daydream Theatre Company and The RISE PLAYHOUSE present DRAMATIS PERSONA, a play written and directed by Lenny Schwartz,  on April 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2023 all at 8pm. The show is at the RISE Playhouse on 142 Clinton St, Woonsocket RI.

The Daydream Theatre Company and The RISE PLAYHOUSE present DRAMATIS PERSONA This SpringThe Daydream Theatre Company and The RISE PLAYHOUSE present DRAMATIS PERSONA This Spring
March 16, 2023

The Daydream Theatre Company and The RISE PLAYHOUSE present DRAMATIS PERSONA, a play written and directed by Lenny Schwartz.

KIDZ BOP Announces All-New 2023 Tour, Including A Stop At PPAC On June 27KIDZ BOP Announces All-New 2023 Tour, Including A Stop At PPAC On June 27
March 9, 2023

KIDZ BOP Never Stops in 2023!  KIDZ BOP, the #1 music brand for kids, brings its brand-new tour, KIDZ BOP Never Stop, to the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 for one show at 7P.  

Rhode Island Premiere of INDECENT Comes to Wilbury Theatre GroupRhode Island Premiere of INDECENT Comes to Wilbury Theatre Group
March 8, 2023

Wilbury Theatre Group has announced the cast and creative team for the Rhode Island premiere of the Tony Award-winning play Indecent by Paula Vogel, directed by Susie Schutt from April 13 - May 7, 2023.