Gateway Theatre has hired Barbara Tomasic to take on the role of interim producer as of February 2019, helping with the transition when current helmer Jovanni Sy leaves the Richmond venue in mid-February.
 
Tomasic is an actor, director, and teacher who was the artistic associate at Gateway from 2004 to 2007, and she is the co-artistic director at Musical Theatreworks.

In the director's role, she helmed Gateway's The Music Man in December 2016, oversaw Studio 58's 42nd Street last year, and directed a record-breaking run of Grease at Chemainus Theatre this summer.
 
Gateway is in the midst of an adaptive planning process with New York consultancy Emc Arts, and says it expects to begin a search for a permanent new artistic director in early 2019.

Sy, who has brought culture-crossing work to the Richmond stage since taking the helm in 2012, said in a statement he wanted to pursue new artistic challenges and cultural leadership opportunities.