Indy theater’s artistic director no longer with organization after domestic violence accusation

Ben Rose was named founding artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theatre Co. in October 2023. (IBJ file photo)

Ben Rose is out of his role as founding artistic director of the Indianapolis Black Theatre Co. after being accused of domestic violence.

Rose, 54, has a hearing scheduled for April 9 in Marion County Superior Court, where he faces a felony charge of strangulation and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and battery resulting in bodily injury.

The Indianapolis Black Theatre Co., founded in 2023 as a resident organization within the District Theatre, 627 Massachusetts Ave., announced that Rose no longer worked for the nonprofit in a statement issued Monday night and that his consulting contracts with the group had been terminated.

“The charges are incredibly serious and stand in direct contradiction to the values of IBTC and TDT, and we take these matters extremely seriously,” read part of the statement attributed to Stephen Farris, chair of the Indianapolis Black Theater Co., and Joe Chapelle, chair of the District Theatre. “We do not condone, nor will we ever tolerate, any form of relational or domestic violence. We are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and supportive environment for all individuals, both within and outside of our workplace.”

According to court documents, the woman was in a relationship with Rose for more than two years and worked with him. IBJ is working to learn more about the couple’s working relationship, which is unclear in court records.

The 31-year-old woman told police a Feb. 20 argument about their relationship escalated to violence.

According to court records, during a heated exchange, the woman shoved Rose, who shoved her back, she told police. Rose escalated the confrontation, she alleges, by putting his hands around her neck, choking her and knocking her head against a door or cabinet. She also said he shoved her to the ground and knocked her down repeatedly as she tried to stand up.

IBJ is not naming the woman because she is the victim of alleged domestic violence.

When reached by IBJ, Rose said he was advised by his attorney to not comment on the allegations.

“I am confident in a positive outcome, but I don’t want the theater to suffer during the legal process playing out,” he said.

Rose said he resigned from his role as artistic director and that his consulting contract was terminated by the boards.

“Upon learning of the charges, IBTC and TDT boards took immediate action,” Farris and Chapelle wrote in describing their actions.

The incident is alleged to have happened on Feb. 20, but the woman did not report her accusations to law enforcement until March 2. According to court records, she told police that Rose had apologized and that they had reunited and things seemed to go “back to normal” in the days following the incident. But the woman told police Rose responded with hostility when she confronted him about lingering pain and bruising.

She told investigators she waited to report the accusation because she didn’t want to adversely affect a premiere of one of Rose’s projects.

His documentary film, “Haughville USA,” premiered Feb. 28 at Kan-Kan Cinema.

Clarification: IBJ has changed the headline on this story and edited some of the details to reflect that Ben Rose first resigned from the organization and the board then terminated his position and his consulting contracts. See additional clarifications and corrections here.