After serving in the role for more than two years, History Theatre artistic director Richard D. Thompson has stepped down from the St. Paul theater company.

Local theater veteran Laura Leffler will serve as interim artistic director in partnership with managing director Karen Mueller, the company announced Monday, adding that further announcements regarding the transition and leadership plans will be made “in due course.”

Thompson has more than 30 years of experience as a director, administrator, choreographer, educator and performer, including extensive work with History Theatre. He succeeded Ron Peluso, who retired in January 2022 after 27 years at the theater.

“Richard’s impact on History Theatre has been nothing short of transformative,” said president of the board John Sebastian in a news release. “He brought artistic excellence and a strong sense of storytelling to every aspect of his work. We are grateful for the vision he shared with us and proud of all that was accomplished during his tenure.”

Thompson said the past two years have been among the most meaningful in his career, but that the job ultimately wasn’t right for him.

“After much reflection, I’ve come to realize that my true passion lies in the creative process itself — developing work, collaborating with artists and centering my energy on the artistic journey of directing plays, operas and other performance pieces,” he said. “I’ve decided to step away from the administrative responsibilities of leading an organization so I can focus exclusively on my artistic practice. I leave History Theatre with tremendous gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead for both myself and this extraordinary company.”

Leffler has specialized in creating new works for the stage and new play development during her career. She co-founded and was the artistic director for 13 years of the now-sunsetted Savage Umbrella/Umbrella Collective, a collaborative theater ensemble dedicated to social issues, women and LGBTQIA+ theater.

She also served as the associate artistic director of St. Paul’s Park Square Theatre from 2017-2019 and has worked with numerous local theaters, including the Guthrie Theatre, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Children’s Theatre Company and the Playwrights’ Center.

Leffler’s first credit at History Theatre was directing “Superman Becomes Lois Lane” in 2020. She joined the staff in 2022 as new works and producing associate, producing and directing in the annual Raw Stages Festival. More recently she directed “The Boy Wonder” and “Whoa, Nellie! The Outlaw King of the Wild Middle West.”

“I am humbled to be entrusted to lead History Theatre through this transition,” Leffler said. “With genuine excitement, I am committed to continuing our vital mission of telling the history of real stories and real people.”