The Illinois Shakespeare Festival has named Robert Quinlan as its next artistic director. Quinlan will take over in the fall when current director John Stark retires.
“The festival has had a deep impact on my life both artistically and personally. I aspire to build upon its impressive legacy. I believe in the essential power and value of live theater. Hamlet says of the traveling players who arrive at Elsinore, 'Let them be well used, for they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the time.' I aim to lead ISF with thoughtfulness and care,” said Quinlan.
Quinlan has been a part of the festival for more than a decade. He's currently the associate artistic director at Shakes and is directing his sixth production at the Bloomington-Normal summer institution, this year's edition of Twelfth Night.
“Robert is uniquely prepared to be a successful artistic director, having had experience as an actor, assistant director, and directing five productions since 2013. He loves Shakespeare and relishes bringing these stories to life on stage,” said Stark.
The festival is approaching a half century of live theater in the Twin Cities. It was founded in 1978.
Ann Haugo, director of the Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance, said she has seen many stagings of Shakespeare's works around the country and Quinlan's are among her favorites.
“His attentiveness to the story, his interest in carving out the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of the characters, and his skill in relating these 400-year-old texts to the 21st century are impressive and inspiring, and I genuinely look forward to working with him in the coming years,” said Haugo.
Quinlan also has worked with the Arkansas Shakespeare Theater and was associate director of the Milwaukee Shakespeare Theater. He is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and is an associate professor of directing at ISU.
