Alabama Shakespeare Festival Names New Associate Artistic Director

Alabama Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Rick Dildine has named Madeleine Lambert to the post of Associate Artistic Director.

Lambert is a leader, performer, and educator. As an Equity actress, Madeleine has performed in plays at top regional theatres across the country including Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Geva Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Play House, Trinity Repertory Company, The Gamm Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. She originated the role of Susan B. Anthony in the world premiere production of The Agitators at Geva Theatre Center. She has also performed in television and is an award-winning audiobook narrator.

Lambert first came to ASF in 2020 to perform in The Agitators and Alabama Story. She returned in 2022 to perform in It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. "I felt an immediate connection to ASF and to the community of Montgomery," she said. "ASF is a world-class institution that values creativity and collaboration. I am committed to building upon the theatre's reputation for artistic excellence and to expanding the theatre's reach both within Alabama and beyond."

ASF Artistic Director Rick Dildine said he is overjoyed to have Lambert on the theatre's team. "Madeleine is not a stranger to ASF: She understands and is invested in our mission, vision, and values. My priorities in filling the role of Associate Artistic Director were to find someone who is passionate about Montgomery, is a superb artist, and is a person of great integrity. Madeleine has all these and more."

While teaching at Duke University, Lambert created storytelling initiatives to resolve conflict and to create change. She is passionate about bringing restorative processes to classrooms and communities. As a Producer and Team Leader for Hidden Voices, a non-profit collective committed to a just, compassionate, and sustainable world, she produced a national social justice art installation on over fifty college and university campuses. In collaboration with Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lambert was the Director of Duke in Chicago: STARTup Arts Entrepreneurship Program 2017.

While a Performance Coach with Stand & Deliver, a global firm specializing in communication and leadership consulting, Lambert led and designed programs for teams and executives at corporations such as Google, Cisco, Genentech, and UBS. She is most passionate about her mentoring of female social impact entrepreneurs selected by the prestigious Cartier Women's Initiative. She developed and led workshops on public speaking at the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt University.

"I bring to the role of Associate Artistic Director a commitment to programming that enriches the cultural and civic life of Alabama," Lambert said. "As ASF continues to broaden the cultural identity of the South, I look forward to nurturing long-standing creative relationships and to championing new and emerging artists. It is an honor to collaborate with a staff of creative thinkers and visionaries who are committed to integrity and excellence."

Madeleine Lambert is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf, where she was an instructor in Text Analysis and Monologues. She has taught and led workshops at The University of Chicago, Brown University, and Colgate University. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she holds a B.A. in Theater Studies and English from Duke University and a M.F.A in Acting from Brown University/Trinity Rep.

Madeleine Lambert assumed the post following the retirement of Greta Lambert (no relation).

Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the State's theatre, builds community by engaging, entertaining, and inspiring people with transformative theatrical performances and compelling educational and community programs. From its founding in a high school auditorium in Anniston in 1972 to its designation as the State Theatre of Alabama in 1977 to the stunning $21.5 million performing arts complex in Montgomery (built in 1985), ASF has been a leader in the performing arts throughout the state, region, and country. As a beloved Alabama arts institution, ASF broadens the cultural identity of the South by producing classics, Shakespeare, contemporary plays, musicals, theatre for young audiences, and exciting new works. Since its inception, ASF has provided education programs to more than one million students; annually, SchoolFest, a student-matinee program, presents high-quality theatrical experiences to nearly 35,000 students.

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