Owen Thompson
Stage director of work driven by language, ensemble, and moral stakes
Artistic Director, The Schoolhouse Theater (Equity)
I prepare for each production as if designing a graduate seminar for myself.
My work begins with deep historical, literary, and visual research—and, whenever possible, field study. For Les Liaisons Dangereuses, that meant time in Paris at the Hôtel de la Marine and the Musée Jacquemart-André; for Red, standing before Rothko’s Seagram murals at the Tate in London and later experiencing the Rothko Chapel in Houston reshaped my understanding of the play.
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My directing grows out of my years as a professional actor. I learned as much from ineffective direction as from great direction, and that experience has made me process-driven in ways that evolve with every new production. I believe that results follow rigor. I arrive with a carefully mapped script and extensive research, but I treat that preparation as a spine, not a cage. I love table work and invite questions from everyone in the room.
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My responsibility is to serve the play and build a culture in which every artist feels ownership. I lead by clarity and persuasion rather than imposition. When preparation and openness are both present, authority becomes calm and unspoken.
The play stays sovereign; we discover it together.​