Producing Artistic Director Charles Fee Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival

Charles Fee has announced his retirement as Producing Artistic Director of Great Lakes Theater (GLT) in Cleveland, Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ISF) in Boise, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) in Incline Village. 

After a long tenure marked by significant contributions to the growth and success of these theaters, Fee believes now is the right moment to transition to new leadership. Fee will pass the torch to Sara Bruner, who is poised to uphold and expand the legacy of these dynamic cultural institutions, fostering their ongoing success and growth.

Fee's career at these organizations has spanned three decades and has been marked by visionary leadership and profound impact. Starting at ISF in 1991, he expanded his influence by joining Great Lakes Theater in 2002 and adding LTSF to his portfolio in 2010. Before his illustrious career with these three organizations, Charles was the Artistic Director at Sierra Repertory Theatre in California from 1988 to 1992. His extensive experience includes work with renowned institutions such as The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Missouri Repertory Theater, Actor's Theatre of Phoenix, and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival.

At Great Lakes Theater, Fee's tenure began during a challenging time of financial instability. His strategic approach and innovative solutions were instrumental in stabilizing the organization. Yet, Fee's vision extended beyond the mere survival of Great Lakes Theater; he was dedicated to long-term sustainability and artistic excellence. He incorporated strategies such as restaging successful productions and implementing cost-effective strategies that allowed GLT to overcome early financial crises and set it on the path to growth. Despite constraints, Fee's unwavering commitment to maintaining artistic excellence was essential in re-establishing the theater's reputation and securing community support, assuring a bright future for the organization. Through iteration and keen strategy, Fee created the successful six-show season GLT now enjoys. At the same time, his extraordinary programming acuity has brought the popular thriller genre to GLT patrons and a number of hit productions that have brought in diverse and enthusiastic audiences.

"We are deeply grateful for Charlie Fee's outstanding artistic leadership and sound fiscal stewardship of Great Lakes Theater for over twenty years," says Kim Bixenstine, President of Great Lakes Theater's Board of Directors. "Charlie was the architect of our unique and innovative collaboration with the theaters in Idaho and Lake Tahoe, which has been hugely successful from both an artistic and business standpoint.  He is leaving us in a strong position and excellent hands with Sara Bruner at the artistic helm."

Along with former Executive Director Bob Taylor, Fee ushered in a new era for GLT by heralding the campaign to renovate the Hanna Theatre and provide Great Lakes Theater with its new theatrical home in Playhouse Square. Fee's innovative spirit is seen throughout the renovation of the space, where the intimate, patron-forward design provides an unparalleled theatrical experience. His tenure has fostered a culture of transparency, creativity and resilience, ensuring the theater's ongoing prosperity.

The three-city strategic alliance connecting Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival stands as the biggest testament to Charles Fee's visionary leadership. As Producing Artistic Director, Fee was instrumental in establishing the original partnership between GLT and ISF, which laid the groundwork for the expansion to include LTSF in 2010.

Fee started with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in 1991 and quickly started working to revitalize it. In 1993, Fee, along with Managing Director Mark Hofflund, began a successful $12 million advancement campaign that included the construction of the amphitheater ISF now calls home in the historic Barber Pool Conservation Area, a riparian wildland home to 300 species located at the foot of the Rockies.  With a continued surge in community engagement, attendance grew from 28,000 and peaked at 76,000 (101% capacity) in 2019. Philanthropic support continued to grow and sustain the company in recent years, as it returned to packed houses in Boise and throughout the region, where it visits 150 schools each year in predominantly rural communities, often hundreds of miles distant. Fee is equally proud of the opportunities he provides through a robust "Access Program" for those whose life challenges might otherwise keep them from enjoying the programs of Idaho Shakespeare Festival, for a high school Apprentice Company immersing juniors and seniors in an intensive, full-time, summer experience of being integral to a professional theater company; and for a longtime collaboration with musical theater students from Baldwin Wallace University under the direction of Victoria Bussert. This collaboration with one of the nation's leading undergraduate training programs has significantly contributed to the Festival's growth and success as a producer of not only Shakespeare but also Sondheim and other highlights of world dramatic literature and American musical theater.

"Charles Fee is simply a giant in Idaho theater and arts. Through his many years of stellar service, he has been pivotal to the success of the Idaho Shakespeare Festival we know today," said J. Kevin West, President of the Board of Trustees at Idaho Shakespeare Festival. "From the initial capital campaign to fund our current amphitheater to the present, his visionary leadership has not only produced magnificent theatrical productions, but also deeply connected us with our community. Truly, Charlie will leave a lasting legacy here in Idaho. As he steps into retirement, we honor his extraordinary contributions and look forward to building on the strong foundation he has created."

Charles Fee's dedication extends beyond the stage. He has been actively involved in community initiatives, serving on the strategic planning committee for the Velma V. Morrison Center, producing the FUNDSY Award Gala, and organizing the Idaho Governor's Awards in the Arts. Additionally, he has contributed as a board member to the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Rotary Club of Boise Downtown. He served his first decade in Boise as a faculty member of Boise State University, having earned degrees from the University of the Pacific (BA) and the University of California, San Diego (MFA).

As the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival sought revitalization, Fee wanted to add breadth, opportunity, and further talent to the successful producing model he had created in Cleveland and Boise with his business partner and Great Lakes Executive Director Bob Taylor. The two worked to bring this exciting partner – located in an amphitheater in Nevada's signature Sand Harbor State Park – into the strategic alliance, and the innovative production model was solidified. Fee's programming acumen would once again be on display as he continually created not one or two but three seasons that could efficiently, and with high artistic integrity, be produced in three different venues in three different time zones all to similar success.

Patty Jansen, Chairperson of LTSF's Board of Directors, shares, "Charlie has been a beacon of artistic excellence and innovation at Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Under his guidance, our Festival has flourished and become a cornerstone of cultural life in the region while also taking our place in the unique, prosperous cross-country partnership he created. As Charles embarks on his retirement, we express our heartfelt gratitude for his exceptional contributions. His legacy will continue to inspire and uplift our audiences for years to come."

This model has enriched the cultural offerings of each region and established a new standard for collaborative theater production that has gained national acclaim. In addition to that acclaim, Charles was honored for his leadership by the Cleveland Arts Prize as a recipient of the Martha Joseph Award, the Boise Mayor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Idaho Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Throughout his tenure in all three companies, Fee has had the unwavering support, sacrifice and love of his family, his wife, Lidia and daughter Alexa.  The sacrifices families make to careers in the arts are often overlooked, but all three boards and staffs recognize the role that Lidia played in the success of these companies.  From the endless travel and equally relentless schedule of rehearsals, performances and social obligations, Lidia proved to be a tireless and enthusiastic partner to Fee and a devoted mother to Alexa.

As he steps into retirement, Fee embarks on a new chapter, leaving behind a legacy of artistic brilliance and transformative leadership, not only among the companies he has led but especially throughout the communities he has served. The three theaters that have flourished under his visionary guidance will forever bear the imprint of his passion and dedication. We applaud his immense contributions to the world of theater. We wish him all the best in his active, well-earned and illustrious retirement.

"How can I possibly capture in one word, one sentence, one paragraph, what my life in these three companies has meant to me and my family?" Fee questioned. "This was a life's work... every day was heart-stoppingly thrilling, endlessly challenging, full of breath-taking beauty and utterly joyful. I will be forever grateful to the Trustees who supported us, the staff and artists I had the privilege to collaborate with, and the endless generosity of the communities we continue to serve. Thank you all. Lidia and I look forward to joining you as members of the audience!"

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