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A resolution recognizing the artistic work of Denice Hicks and her role as Executive Artistic Director of The Nashville Shakespeare Festival.
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WHEREAS, after more than 30 years with the organization, Nashville Shakespeare Festival Executive Artistic Director Denice Hicks announced that she is stepping down from her position to become a freelance artist in September 2024, after the closing of the company's Summer Shakespeare production; and
WHEREAS, since 1988, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival has educated and entertained the Mid-South community through professional theatrical experiences, educational programs, and performances of Shakespeare's plays; and
WHEREAS, Denice Hicks was among the group that created the first professional production of Shakespeare in the Park, The Merry Wives of Windsor in 1990 in Nashville's Centennial Park; and
WHEREAS, Hicks started working for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival in 1990, and has held the position of Artistic Director since 2005; and
WHEREAS, she has edited, directed, and performed in over 50 Shakespearean productions, developed workshops for students of all ages, and created the Festival's Apprentice Company Training and Shakespeare Allowed! programming; and
WHEREAS, Hicks's partnership with the Nashville Public Library for the ongoing monthly Shakespeare Allowed! project and the annual Apprentice Company program has trained over 300 theater artists since 1999. Hicks has dedicated more than 150 Saturdays to these programs, ensuring that both are accessible to the community; and
WHEREAS, under Hicks's passionate leadership, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival began as a group of local actors and theater enthusiasts and has grown to an organization with seven full-time staff, with an average of 108 artists and technicians hired for their productions each year; and
WHEREAS, each summer, up to 15,000 people attend the annual Summer Shakespeare Festival which is designed to be accessible to people from ...
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