Rick Dildine, Executive Director of the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Named Director of Webster University's MFA Program in Arts Management and Leadership

A high-res image of Rick Dildine

Rick Dildine, executive director of the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has been named director of Webster University's Master of Fine Arts Degree Program in Arts Management and Leadership. "The Arts Management and Leadership Program has enjoyed distinguished leadership since its founding over a decade ago," says Peter Sargent, dean of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, "and I am excited that Rick is available to provide a distinguished and energetic spirit as the program continues to move forward."

The MFA degree in arts management and leadership develops the enlightened and imaginative leadership valued by today's visual and performing arts institutions. Through close mentorships, personal interactions, and small class sizes; students are provided with unique and intimate perspectives from experienced arts leaders. Internship opportunities with St. Louis' leading arts institutions provide students with practical and meaningful outside experiences. Graduates of Webster's arts management and leadership program possess the knowledge and understanding of both the creative and business aspects of the arts and the credentials to assume a position of leadership in the field.

"Arts institutions are vital to the success of our communities across the country and require visionary leadership," said Dildine. "The Webster program focuses on developing the nation’s most aspiring leaders by giving them the knowledge and professional experience to lead an arts start-up or a more sophisticated organization. I am very excited to be partnering with Webster University to further develop this program."

Rick Dildine joined Shakespeare Festival St. Louis in September 2009, having most recently served as Managing Director of Chicago's About Face Theatre. For seven years he was associated with the Stephen Foster Theatre, a 50-year old outdoor theater company in Kentucky. Beginning as Production Manager and moving up to Associate Artistic Director, he was appointed Artistic Director from 2005-2008. In 2008, as the theater celebrated the half-century mark, the State Senate of Kentucky passed legislation recognizing his work with the Official Outdoor Musical of Kentucky. From 2006-08, Dildine was the Producer of the Brown University/Trinity Rep New Plays Festival and Playwriting Coordinator for the graduate playwriting program at Brown University, all under the leadership of Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. Rick also spent two seasons as a member of the acting company at the Warehouse Theatre in South Carolina. He is a past recipient of the National Directing Fellowship from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has served on the Arts & Cultural Advisory Council for the Chicago 2016 Bid for the Olympics and will represent the United States at the World Theatre Congress in Xiamen, China in September 2011.

Dildine received his BA from Ouachita University, his MFA in Acting from Brown University and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.

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With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses.  Founded in 1915, Webster University’s campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.