shashinmug Shashin Desai, who in 1985 founded the International City Theater in a 99-seat, black box theater on the campus of Long Beach City College, announced his resignation—effective March 15—in a press release Friday afternoon.

He will be replaced by his wife and the ICT’s current general manager, caryn desai, who spells her name that way. According to the release, the lower-case desai’s promotion to artistic director has been unanimously approved by the theatre’s board of directors.

In addition to overseeing the ICT’s growth to become the resident professional theater company at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, Shashin leaves the organization with a balanced budget.

“This is not a retirement,” said Desai in the press release. “I have always felt that an organization needs to be about more than the vision of just one individual. I am stepping aside so that ICT has the chance to grow and become stronger under a new generation of leadership.”

And if he has any suggestions for the new leader, well, it probably won’t require more than a walk through the house they share.

ICT’s 26th season opens January 21 with the West Coast premiere of StephenFlaherty and Frank Galati’s chamber musical, “Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein.” The rest of the season features “Southern Comforts” by Kathleen Clark, “The Old Settler” by John Henry Redwood, “Private Lives” by Noël Coward, and “The Robber Bridegroom” by Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman.