PROVIDENCE – A leadership change at Trinity Repertory Company is coming soon.
The organizations announced Thursday that Tom Parrish, Trinity Rep’s executive director since 2015, will be leaving in October both the nonprofit and Rhode Island altogether. Trinity Rep said Parrish got engaged last year and has chosen to relocate to New York City to pursue other opportunities closer to his fiancé and new home.
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In the six years leading Trinity Rep, Parrish has helped the theater group turned around its finances, lead an organizational transformation and navigated it through the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept all performance venues dark for more than a year. Ticket revenue increased by 32% under Parrish’s leadership, Trinity Rep said, and the organization eliminated its accumulated deficit and operated with positive cash flow since 2017.
Trinity Rep also deepened its relationship with Brown University to build a Master’s in Fine Arts training program under Parrish’s guidance, the organization said, and produced seven world-premiere productions, including the record-breaking “Prince of Providence” show based on the political life of former Providence Mayor Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci.
Parrish said in a statement that while the decision to leave Trinity Rep is difficult, he’s encouraged that the theater company is in a strong position both financially and artistically.
“We have made significant strides in advancing the organization. Trinity Rep is strong not because of any one person, but because we all – board, staff, volunteers, artists, donors, and audience members – have worked collectively and collaboratively to take Trinity Rep to the next level. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve this organization and community,” Parrish said.
Trinity Rep board Chairperson Louis Giancola said in a statement that Parrish’s leadership was instrumental in the theater group being able to survive the pandemic and “emerge ready to produce great theater this season.”
Moving forward, Trinity Rep said its board of trustees will commission a national search for Parrish’s replacement to join Artistic Director Curt Columbus and ensure a smooth transition into the new performance season. Columbus in a statement described Parrish as “one of the great minds of American theater” and his abilities to consider problems that confront cultural institutions is “unparalleled.”
Board Vice Chairperson Kibbe Reilly will lead Trinity Rep’s search committee, the theater group said.
Trinity Rep in 2018 was recognized by Providence Business News for Excellence at a Midsize Company in that year’s Business Excellence Awards program. In that same year, Parrish, himself, was named among PBN’s 40 Under Forty.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
