In Memoriam

Jerry Russell, Stage West founder and father of Sen. Wendy Davis, dies

Jerry Russell, founder of Fort Worth theater company Stage West and father of Sen. Wendy Davis, passed away peacefully this morning at Harris Methodist Hospital. He had been hospitalized for several weeks following complications from abdominal surgery. He was 77.

Friends and family began reporting on his condition two weeks ago on Facebook, and a page on the website Caring Bridge was created to keep well-wishers informed of his status. Early this morning, Davis posted on her Facebook page that her father had passed away, surrounded by his wife and children:

During his time in the hospital, there was never a moment that one of us wasn't by his side. We, and the community, will forever be grateful for the significant impact he made on our lives. He and his warm, sparkling brown eyes will be deeply missed. My family and I thank you for surrounding us with your prayers and comfort during this time.

Russell had retired (for the second time) from Stage West last year, ending a tenure that began when he founded the company in 1979. Appearing not just with Stage West but also Dallas Theater Center, Casa Manana and others, Russell was a beloved member of the Dallas-Fort Worth theater community.

His most recent onstage appearance was in the one-man show Clarence Darrow that played Stage West in April, a role he was reprising for the third time. He was slated to star in The Sunshine Boys at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas later this month.

Russell was in the third week of directing Stage West's season-closing show, Thank You, Jeeves, when he became ill in August and was admitted to the hospital. There's no word yet on how Russell's death might affect the theater's upcoming 35th season.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced, but there has been an outpouring of online support from both the local arts community and Davis' supporters. Kevin Moriarty, artistic director at the Dallas Theater Center, released a statement about Russell's death. It reads in part:

Jerry was a beloved figure in the theater community for his unerring truthfulness on stage, his deeply collaborative creative process, his glorious sense of humor, his colorful storytelling and his deep, abiding love of theater. Jerry acted in six productions at Dallas Theater Center over the years, including those directed by DTC's former artistic director, Richard Hamburger, and myself. His last appearance on our stage was as Gonzalo in The Tempest in 2011.

I had the great pleasure of collaborating with Jerry on that production. I was in awe of his ability to bring Shakespeare's words to life on stage with such beauty and grace, and I was equally enthralled offstage by his stories of a lifetime of creating theater. I was fortunate to see much of his work at Stage West over the years and to count him as a trusted colleague and friend. It's hard to imagine theater in North Texas without Jerry Russell. All of us are grieving and share our condolences with his family.

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Ballet news

Texas Ballet Theater executive director leaving for new gig in Northeast

Photo courtesy of Texas Ballet Theater

Vanessa Logan joined Texas Ballet Theater in 2016.

Vanessa Logan, who has served as Texas Ballet Theater executive director since 2016, is leaving TBT for a new role in the Northeast, the company says. Her final day with TBT will be June 30, 2025.

The move will allow Logan to be closer to her family, the organization says. Her new position has not yet been announced.

"While we will greatly miss Vanessa and her leadership at TBT, we support her decision to do what is best for her and her family and wish her well in her new pursuit," says TBT board of governors chair Anne T. Bass in a May 19 release. "Throughout her tenure at TBT, Vanessa has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism. It has been a delight to have worked closely with Vanessa over the last nine years, and I am most grateful for her unstinting efforts that have advanced TBT in so many respects."

Logan joined North Texas' largest ballet company before the 2016-17 season; she previously had worked at the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey and Boston Ballet.

"Being part of TBT has been an immensely enriching and transformative experience. Partnering with Artistic Director Tim O’Keefe, working alongside such talented artists, and collaborating with a dedicated administrative and school staff has been a true privilege," Logan says in the release. "I am also deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our committed Board Chair and the Board of Governors, whose vision and leadership have been instrumental. Contributing to productions that bring beauty and artistry to our audiences and nurturing ballet education for countless children in Dallas-Fort Worth has been incredibly rewarding."

During her tenure with TBT, Logan helped the company navigate through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 followed by a catastrophic winter storm of 2021; she helped smooth the transition of artistic director from Ben Stevenson to Tim O'Keefe in 2023; and she oversaw new school facilities in Richardson and Dallas. TBT has also begun a 65,000-square-foot renovation of its Fort Worth facility to support future growth.

"Vanessa’s support and partnership during the transition was phenomenal. I cannot imagine another leader better equipped to guide TBT seamlessly through such a transformational change," O’Keefe says. "Her steadfastness instilled confidence and built trust with staff, students and subscribers as she ensured that we held true to TBT’s mission of honoring classical ballet while embracing a new chapter of artistic evolution."

TBT’s Board of Governors will immediately start searching for Logan’s successor and will quickly name an interim executive director to oversee operations until a permanent leader is in place, they say.

Texas Ballet Theater, which is a resident company of both Winspear Opera House in Dallas and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, just closed its 2024-25 season with O'Keefe's all-new staging of the beloved ballet Giselle.

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