The Board of Directors has selected Jason Spelbring as the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s new Artistic Director. Longtime and current Executive Artistic Director, Denice Hicks, will transition out of her role on September 30.

“The search committee has done a thorough and diligent job of finding the right person. A kind, compassionate professional with years of experience is a big win for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival and the region. Jason is going to lead this company to new heights, and I cannot wait to support him every step of the way,” says Hicks regarding the selection.

Jason Spelbring is a theatre director, administrator, educator, and producer. He has served as associate artistic director, artistic associate/resident director at Lyric Repertory Company, and associate professor/assistant department head in the Department of Theatre Arts at Utah State University’s Caine College of the Arts. In 2019, Spelbring launched Lyric Rep’s Emerging Directors Initiative, a program to promote underrepresented, early-career directors, and co-created the Vosco Call Spotlight Concert, a now-annual event to raise funds for Lyric Rep’s endowment.

“I was immediately struck by how at home I felt in Nashville. The leadership, staff, and board of directors at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival were so kind and inviting. I quickly realized that NSF was an organization I needed to be a part of, and serving as Artistic Director would be a joy,” says Spelbring. “I am fully aware that I have some big shoes to fill as Executive Artistic Director Denice Hicks steps down after decades of leadership serving the mission of NSF, stewardship through a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic, and collaboration and dedication to the Nashville Theatre community. She truly is one of a kind. I look forward to sharing space with Denice and gleaning as much information from her as possible.”

Spelbring’s directing credits include the Lincoln Center Theatre national touring production of My Fair Lady (assistant director); Amadeus, Tony Award-Winning Cleveland Play House (movement, intimacy, and fight director); An Iliad (director), Shakespeare in the Schools Tour: Romeo and Juliet (director), Pericles (movement director), Henry VIII, The Winter’s Tale, Much Ado About Nothing, The 39 Steps (intimacy and fight director), The Taming of the Shrew (intimacy director), Tony Award-Winning Utah Shakespeare Festival; Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Mamma Mia, Disney’s Freaky Friday (director), and Macbeth (fight director), Lyric Repertory Company.

Spelbring is a graduate of the two-year professional actor training program at Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA). He holds a BFA from Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine. He is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Stage Directors, and Choreographers Society (SDC).

“The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to welcome Jason Spelbring to our team!” says the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Executive Managing Director, Isabel Tipton-Krispin. “We are looking forward to Jason bringing not only his classical theatre expertise and artistic leadership experience but also a commitment to community that is so critical in NSF’s work. Although Denice’s departure is bittersweet, we are excited to build upon her incredible legacy to continue serving our Nashville neighbors.”

Spelbring will start his role with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival on September 2, 2024.

About the Nashville Shakespeare Festival The Nashville Shakespeare Festival (also known as Nashville Shakes) is a nonprofit arts organization founded in 1988. The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional theatrical experiences. The Nashville Shakespeare Festival has unified and enriched the community for over 35 years through accessible programming such as Summer Shakespeare, Winter/Spring Shakespeare, daytime school matinees, Shakespeare Allowed, and educational workshops. For more information, visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.