SAN FRANCISCO: Cutting Ball Theater artistic director Rob Melrose will take a one-year sabbatical, and cofounder Paige Rogers will step in as acting artistic director in his absence. His hiatus follows on the heels of the departure of managing director Suzanne Appel, who stepped down earlier this month to take a new role as director of external affairs at Hubbard Street Dance in Chicago.

“Paige has a number of strengths that I don’t have, and I think Cutting Ball will benefit greatly from her leadership and from my getting a year to focus on my creative work and to recharge after 16 years as artistic director,” said Melrose in a statement. “I’m really looking forward to it!”

It won’t entirely be a vacation. Melrose will continue to be involved at Cutting Ball during his sabbatical, directing two mainstage productions and translating a play for the Hidden Classics reading series. In addition, his translation of Ubu Roi will be presented in October at the Garage Theatre, his translation of The Chairs will play at the Pearl Theatre in September, and he will be directing Much Ado About Nothing at The Old Globe in November.

“Obviously this is a time of enormous change for Cutting Ball, but change can often create energy and excitement, and this is exactly how I feel when I wake up each morning,” said Rogers in a statement.