Kevin Couch's tenure at the Trump-branded Kennedy Center ended almost as soon as it began. The Dallas-based branding executive and live-entertainment programmer resigned less than two weeks after the center publicly touted him as its new senior vice president of artistic programming, the Washington Post reports. Couch, a former director of programming for British theater company ATG Entertainment, confirmed his resignation Wednesday without offering an explanation, per the New York Times.
Couch, who is also the founder of CBC Creative and a former manager for touring acts including R&B group Color Me Badd, was promoted in a Jan. 16 news release as a key figure in shaping "commonsense programming." President Richard Grenell praised him at the time for bringing "a clear-eyed approach" and curating shows meant to "invite and inspire all audiences." Couch, for his part, called it "a pivotal moment for the performing arts" and said he looked forward to "extraordinary creative possibilities" at "America's cultural center."
This is now the second time in four months that the center is without its top programming official follow Jeffrey Finn's exit in September, per the Times. The Kennedy Center did not respond to a request for comment; Couch's name no longer appears on its leadership page. His abrupt exit lands amid wider turbulence at the institution, which has seen a series of artists pull out after President Trump became the center's chairman and rebranded it with his name. Those canceling appearances include composer Philip Glass, soprano Renée Fleming, banjoist Béla Fleck and Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz.
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