In Good Company: Infamous Commonwealth Theatre changes leadership

Genevieve Thompson directed "Grapes of Wrath" at ICT this spring

If you want to see a play at Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, you’ll have to wait six months. In a recent press release, the theater announced that it will not be producing until January, citing the need “to focus on internal administrative changes,” after the recent resignation of artistic director and founder Genevieve Thompson. During her tenure, Thompson was awarded a Jeff Citation, and was a two-time winner of the After Dark Award for outstanding directing. Thompson’s successor, artistic director Chris Maher, says that Thompson has made his job much easier, laying a “sturdy foundation” for the company to build upon in the future. Maher assures those who love ICT that he will not radically change the company: “It would be silly to change things for my ego because ‘I’m in charge.'” Although he does not plan on making significant changes in how the theater operates, Maher says that he and his staff need “time to adjust” before they try to put on another production. “We’re sturdy financially so to take the six months and not to rush into things just seemed like the best idea.”

For Thompson, resigning has been something of an ordeal. Thompson gave birth to her second child three weeks ago, and she admits that, before resigning from her position, she was feeling overwhelmed. “I do think that women can have it all, the family and the career, but I was exhausted, and I don’t want to be completely exhausted. It sounds terrible to say, but… I had it all, but I’m not sure how much I enjoyed it. I don’t want my kid’s birthday party to feel like another task.” She explains that her decision to resign was ultimately a matter of priorities, “I’m finding it difficult to balance a family life, an artistic life, and the administrative duties that come along with my role as artistic director. The obvious choice for me was to eliminate some administrative duties so I could concentrate more on my life as a wife, a mother, and an artist.”

Nonetheless, Thompson confesses that, though she is confident that the company is “in very capable hands,” this was a “bittersweet decision.” She explains, “It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made… It was my idea to start ICT, and I brought people in as founding members. ICT was my baby, and I took—still take—a lot of pride in it.”

At first, when she was thinking about resigning, Thompson was worried about the future of the company. She admits, “My fear was, who is going to lead? Does this mean ICT is going to end?” But, Thompson says that now she knows that, with Chris Maher, the company is in “really capable hands.” “I am so pleased because Chris is awesome,” she beams. “It has made the decision that much easier to make.”

Maher also had a difficult decision to make. When offered the position, Maher had to decide whether to accept the job or to stay in his position as artistic director at Open Eye Productions. He emphasizes, “It’s always a hard decision, stepping out of something that’s safe into something unknown. It just felt like the right thing to do even though it was going to be difficult initially.” Maher says he has “nothing bad to say about Open Eye” and that he has “made many good friends there,” but that—after his fantastic experiences directing a show with ICT—he knew he wanted to work for them. “Having had the opportunity to get to know everyone at ICT while working on ‘Lewis & Clark,’ I think this is a great fit on both sides,” says Maher. “To get the chance to work with so many talented artists is about as exciting as it gets. I’m really looking forward to creating some stirring theater with everyone moving forward.”

According to Maher, that group of people includes Thompson, who he wants to make sure stays involved with ICT. Maher says that, for him, asking Thompson to direct in the upcoming season was a “no-brainer” and that he wants her to stay involved because “she’s a great director and a real asset to the company.”

Thompson says that she is happy that Maher doesn’t mind having her around. She promises to be “helpful without being a leader,” and excitedly shares her plans to direct George Walker’s “Escape From Happiness”—a play which she describes as “one of the rare plays to make me laugh out loud when I read it on the page.”

Both Thompson and Maher promise that ICT’s next season is worth the wait. ICT’s 2010 productions explore the theme of “Redemption,” which Maher contends is an “incredibly rich topic theatrically” and a particularly interesting theme to look at now that many “have selected a total reverse from the previous president” and have a vision of “a nation redeemed.” Thompson says that this season will be a nice change, that since ICT usually does “dark” work, it is probably good for it to explore plays that are “not necessarily lighter, but more hopeful.” Thompson suggests, “It offers an opportunity for the audience to see a character start at the bottom and rise to greatness.” (Ilana Kowarski)