Richard Powers Hardt
Richard became President of the Board of Directors in November 2022. He also currently serves as adjudicator liaison for plays.
Bio
Richard has a BA in Theatre Arts from Northern Arizona University and has been acting, designing, writing and directing theatre in Arizona for over 35 years. Before moving back to Phoenix, Richard directed the comedy improvisational group, “Local Motion” in Flagstaff.
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Richard is a director and designer. Recent credits include directing the Arizona premieres of “Maple and Vine”, “Rapture, Blister, Burn” and “Grand Concourse” for Theatre Artists Studio, and “All Through the Night” for Theater Works. Other favorites through the years include the Actor’s Equity Project, “Extremities” at the old Planet Earth Theater, “King Lear” and “Much Ado About Nothing” for The Shakespeare Theatre, “The Importance of Being Earnest” for Mesa Little Theatre, “ Dark of the Moon”, “Beyond Therapy” and “Almost Maine” for Theater Works and “Speed the Plow” for Theatre Artists Studio.
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As a writer, he has had several produced plays including an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” which ran for three winters at Theater Works. Some of his favorite acting roles include Charlie Fox in David Mamet’s, “Speed the Plow”, “Toby Belch” in Shakespeare’s, “Twelfth Night” and King Sextimus in the musical, “Once Upon a Mattress”.
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Richard was a co-founder of The Shakespeare Theatre and Off-Center Productions. He has worked with numerous theatres around the valley and has received ariZoni nominations for both directing and design, as well as a win for his set design for “Dark of the Moon”. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Theater Works and is their Artistic Committee chair and is an Artistic Member of Theater Artists Studio.