Ellis had a major part to play in the staging of Sam Thompson's even more controversial "Over the Bridge" (1960). In December 1958 Ellis had been appointed the Group Theatre's Director of Productions, but he resigned this position in July 1959 to direct the production of Thompson's play, which was to be staged by a group of actors and directors who had quit the Group in protest over its decision to withdraw "Over the Bridge", which had been in rehearsals, after the Group's board deemed the play too inflammatory.