ALT names Rob Armstrong Martin as new executive director

New Albuquerque Little Theatre executive director Rob Armstrong Martin grew up as an introvert.

But something magical happened when he read aloud or stepped onstage.

“I fell in love with it,” he said. “When I found the theater, it tapped into my love of theater and my love of stories.”

Longtime ALT executive director Henry Avery retired in July. Martin successfully completed a three-month tryout with Avery before being selected.

“We focused on finding a leader who had experience in both business and the arts, which is not a common combination,” said Paula Ann Stein, ALT board president. “We are confident that Rob has the unique set of skills and professional background to take our beloved historic theater to its 100th birthday.”

The Albuquerque Tourism Board recently granted the theater $10,000 to produce an Indigenous storyteller festival on Nov. 1-2 and Nov. 8-9.

“It’s a deep honor,” Martin said.

His plans for ALT include an increased use of technology through regular podcasts and newsletters, often about the people behind the scenes of the stage.

Additionally, he wants to expand the theater’s repertoire into smaller shows in the building’s upstairs studio space.

“At its heart, theater is about human stories and human conflict,” he said. “You don’t need a lot of furniture to do that.”

He also hopes to expand the theater’s after school program.

“Every child deserves theater,” he added.

Martin boasts a lengthy history with ALT. Born and raised in Albuquerque, upon his graduation from Dartmouth College, he returned home and worked in community theater for 10 years.

In 1997, Martin moved to New York, where he worked in theater, film and TV while helming corporate jobs in advertising and marketing. Most recently, he was the assistant dean of Continuing Medical Education at New York University’s Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, where he wrote and directed training films for the medical staff.

During the pandemic, Martin worked remotely as he flew between New York and Albuquerque to care for his aging parents.

Most recently, he acted at ALT last spring in “The 39 Steps” and “Something Rotten.”

Martin’s dramatic education began at Eldorado High School. His professional acting career started in 1987 at Dartmouth Summer Repertory and at the Wool Warehouse Dinner Theater. He has also performed in the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera and Vortex Theatre. In New York, he acted in off-Broadway hits like “The Hollywood Pinafore” and “West Side Story.”

Martin earned a master’s degree in business administration at Yale University. He is halfway through penning his doctoral dissertation on adult education.

Plans are already underway to celebrate the theater’s 100th birthday.