Meredith McDonough Becomes Trinity Rep's New Artistic Director
Five new trustees, including Larry Eichler and Tony Weisman, join the Providence theater's board this year.
This August, Meredith McDonough began her tenure as Trinity Repertory Company's seventh Artistic Director. McDonough, whose appointment was announced in March, joins Executive Director Katie Liberman and Board of Trustees Chair Kibbe Reilly in leading the storied nonprofit. This moment marks the first time in which all of the theater's leaders identify as women.
“Women hold only about 25% of executive leadership positions in American regional theaters,” McDonough said. “So I recognize how rare it is to not only be a woman Artistic Director, but to work in collaboration with both a female Executive Director and a female Chair of the Board. I'm eager to get started with these wonderful women, as well as our artists, staff, and audiences, to build something powerful and personal here in Providence.”
Additionally, this summer, the Board reelected Reilly to another three-year term as Chair. Reilly has been a Board member since 2008 and first became Chair in 2023. In addition to Reilly, the Board's officers include Vice-Chairs Larry Eichler and James Hurley, Treasurer John S. Lombardo, and Secretary Nancy Smith Greer.
In 2026, five new Trustees joined the Board: Larry Eichler, Attorney and President at Eichler Realty Company, Inc.; Corey Martin Fitzegerald, Ed.D, LMHC, Psychotherapist and Outreach Coordinator at Brown University; Dr. Meghan Hughes, PhD, Head of Workforce Development, Arts and Heritage at Bank of America; Nick Wall, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer, and Head of Investor Relations at American Pacific Group; and former Dunkin' Donuts Chief Marketing Officer Tony Weisman.
"Trinity Rep is so fortunate to have attracted these amazing individuals to our Board," Reilly said. "They have all achieved great success in their work lives as well as in their volunteer pursuits. Importantly, they are committed to our core values of company, community, education and anti-racism. This infusion of new energy and creativity on the Board is well-timed as we work together to support Meredith McDonough in her artistic leadership of Trinity Rep."
Returning trustees include Karen Allen Baxter, Hannah Bell-Lombardo, Linda Cohen, Jon Duffy, Michael Evora, Bill Foulkes, Neha Gore Geraghty, Jeffrey Kasle, Larry La Sala, Doris Licht, Noni Thomas López, Joe Madden, Kevin Matta, Sara Shea McConnell, Sean Redfern, Michael Sandner-White, Jennifer Shaheen, Sydney Skybetter, Julia Anne Slom, and Vanessa Vigil. Stephen Thorne continues to serve as the Resident Artistic Company's Board Representative, while McDonough and Liberman hold ex officio positions on the Board.
Trinity Rep extends its gratitude to Lou Giancola, Laura Harris, Peter Lipman, Ken Sigel, and Donna Vanderbeck, who have all reached their term limit, as well as Avery Willis Hoffman, Michael Sweeney, and Sean Holley who have concluded their service on the board.
“I am incredibly grateful to our outgoing trustees for their long-time stewardship, counsel, and support,” Liberman said. “Trinity Rep is at a turning point as we welcome Meredith as our new Artistic Director and our historic building completes a once-in-a-generation facilities transformation. The Board's clarity in leadership and governance will be vital to continuing Trinity Rep's 60+ year legacy—all while proceeding through transformational positive change. I'm thrilled to work with Kibbe, Meredith, our staff, and Resident Artistic Company as we look ahead to the future.”
About The Artistic Director
Meredith McDonough is a director and artistic producer known for championing new plays and musicals. From 2012–2019, McDonough served as Associate Artistic Director at the Tony Award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville. She also produced the Humana Festival of New American Plays, directing multiple world premieres. McDonough was Director of New Works at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, developing, producing, and directing new work by artists including Matthew López, Colman Domingo, and more. She was also the Associate Artistic Director of The Orchard Project and New Works Program Director for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. As a freelance director, she has worked at The Guthrie, Steppenwolf, Denver Center, Dallas Theater Center, The Huntington, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Kansas City Rep, Two River Theater, and others. In New York, she developed work with Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater Company, Ars Nova, and more. McDonough holds a BS from Northwestern University and an MFA in Directing from UC San Diego.
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