Since 2009, Rick Dildine has been the Executive Director and creative force behind Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, the cultural event that brings the Bard to St. Louis with a free outdoor celebration of his work. Under Rick’s innovative leadership, the original two-month festival has increased audiences by more than 30% to 60,000 and expanded into a year-round program of events taking Shakespeare to the whole community. Rick has previously held senior roles at Chicago’s About Face Theater, Brown University, and Trinity Repertory Company. Additionally, he is the Director of the MFA Program in Arts Management & Leadership at Webster University. He holds an MFA from Brown/Trinity.