WORCESTER–Troy Siebels, CEO of The Hanover Theatre & Conservatory for the Performing Arts for the past 20 years, is stepping down from his current position but will remain involved in a new role: main stage artistic director and VP of programming. Siebels will continue in his current capacity until a replacement is hired.
“[Siebels] became the CEO and the theater, at the time it started, was just the theater,” said Mary DeFeudis, honorary board member and founder of The Hanover Theatre.“The conservatory was added around 10 years later, and since then we’ve added the Rep, we’ve added Francis Carroll Plaza, and we added the Brick Box theater at the Jean McDonough Art Center.”
Siebels has been discussing his decision with the board’s executive committee for at least a month and officially informed the board on June 11 of his desire to concentrate on the main stage. He noted that while he remains passionate about the organization, the Hanover Theatre has evolved significantly over the past two decades.
“We added the conservatory seven years ago and it serves 600 kids a week,” said Siebels “However, more of my position has been managing the larger organization, and less and less of my position has been curating a main stage series. It’s gotten further and further away from what I love to do. It’s the right time for me and the organization to make this a time of transition.”.
In his new role, Siebels aims to channel his enthusiasm for touring Broadway shows to bringing bigger and newer offerings to the main stage. Over the past 20 years, Siebels has been instrumental in several programming additions, including adapting and directing “A Christmas Carol,” which will continue under his direction, with auditions starting on June 24.
“Troy is not going anywhere,” said DeFeudis. “He’s going to do the part that he is best at and loves the most, and that will be the artistic side of it.He’ll do the programming for the main stage and Francis Carroll Plaza. And then the new CEO will pick up on the Brick Box Theater, and the Rep. Troy is very dedicated, very passionate about the theater, so I feel very confident that he will be there as a support for the new CEO.”
DeFeudis added, “He’s a theater person. He was working in a theater when we hired him. He can get up and dance and entertain. He’s just been a man for everything. He has grown into the job.”
Kellie Thibodeau, board chair of The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, said that the theater will continue to experience growth and that several conversations with various partners have been started about how collaborations can broaden the Hanover’s offerings.
“The sky’s the limit for us,” said Thibodeau “We just came off a visioning session with the board and staff in April going through what we want to do, what we want to be, and how we can envision ourselves doing that.”
Thibodeau remarked that, essentially, Siebels has been doing the job of more than one person.
“We concluded that we need another role that will complement and enhance Troy’s capabilities to really support that organization structure that we need,” she said.
Thibodeau expects it will take approximately six months to find and hire someone to fill Siebels’ current role as CEO.
“I love building relationships in the industry,” said Siebels, “whether that’s with the agents or the co-presenters to bring events to the theater. It can be a challenge sometimes being in the shadow of Boston to get events into Worcester, but that’s what strong relationships are all about.”
“The Broadway shows are really the foundation of what we do. And I love being in the Theatre when it’s a full house. There’s an electricity in there when it’s full and there’s a show on stage,” Siebels added.
Siebels explained that his decision to step away from daily leadership is partly professional, but that his personal life was the driver in his ultimate decision.
“I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family,” he said, “and I’m at a point in my life where I’d like to drop the stress levels a bit.”
Originally built as a performing arts center, The Hanover Theatre has a rich history. Much of its historic detailing was destroyed when it was converted into a multiplex in the 1960s. Now restored to its original purpose, the theater aims to continue to be a cultural landmark under Siebels’s and the future CEO’s guidance.
Matt Olszewski is a freelance content and news writer based in Boston, MA. In his free time, Matt enjoys running, hiking or skiing. Matt just graduated with his MPH from Tufts University. He can be reached at mattoskier@gmail.com
