Monthly Archives: July 2021

Crystian Wiltshire, Kate Bindus, Maddie Regan, and Candice Handy. By Mikki Schaffner Photography.

CSC is proud to bring new team members to the Artistic, Production, and Education Departments as they prepare for reopening 

Cincinnati, July 9, 2021- Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is pleased to announce several new members of its Leadership Team: Kate Bindus- Production Manager, Candice Handy- Director of Education, and Crystian Wiltshire- Associate Artistic Director. Joining the Executive Leadership Team is Maddie Regan- Managing Director.  This expansion of the Leadership Team is in preparation for the hopeful reopening of the CSC Mainstage season this fall.  Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips said, “We are thrilled to be building our team in this way and to welcome these new leaders to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company!”

Joining Brian in Executive Leadership is Managing Director Maddie Regan. Ms. Regan assumed this role in early 2020, immediately guiding the company through the pandemic. She said, “I am proud of the adaptability the team demonstrated as we have navigated the operational and financial hurdles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I appreciate the immediate inclusion and trust I received from the staff and Board as I assumed this executive leadership role during such a difficult and unpredictable time.”

CSC has also been committed to inviting young voices to join the conversation about Shakespeare, the classics, drama, and more by presenting quality and engaging performances and workshops for over 50,000 students annually through their Education Department. CSC is thrilled to welcome Candice Handy as the new Director of Education who will expand the impact of the Education Department and create new offerings for our students and school partners. Mr. Phillips says, “Candice brings passion, experience, and ownership to the role and we welcome her perspective as we work on expanding our reach to more students and youth organizations in Cincinnati.” Candice began in May 2021 and immediately jumped in as the director of CSC’s Theatre Summer Camp.

As CSC hopes to reopen in the late fall, the Production Department will be undergoing a restart and rebuild.  Kate Bindus has taken the lead as the new Production Manager.  Maddie says, “Kate is exactly the leader that the Production Team needs today. Her attention to detail, ambition for growth, and the intentional collaborative and constructive environment she cultivates will guide the department through a successful reopening. She is an asset to our institution and we are fortunate that she is excited to tackle the challenges ahead!” Kate started in June and has already begun hiring her team and preparing the Production Department for its upcoming projects.

Crystian Wiltshire is joining the artistic leadership as Associate Artistic Director.  Brian is “thrilled to welcome Crystian to the team and to collaborate and engage with him as we plan future seasons and programs at CSC.  His viewpoint and voice will be most welcomed in our Artistic planning to ensure that we are presenting Shakespeare and the Classics for all.” Crystian joined the team July 1 and is just getting started!

Maddie, Candice, Kate, and Crystian are joining the Leadership Team currently in place at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company which also includes Sara Clark- Director of Development, Brian Isaac Phillips- Producing Artistic Director, Lettie Van Hemert- General Manager, and Jeanna Vella- Director of Marketing and Data Analytics.  This Leadership Team consists of an Artistic Visionary Circle (AVC) and a Business Visionary Circle (BVC). Maddie says “Both circles share the central focus of serving our mission, and each Circle’s primary task is supporting the other. This structural reframing will intentionally define and grow the artistic and business decision-making tables, encouraging diversification of perspectives in both. By creating these circles, we recognize that the “business” and the “art” are essential to one another.”

Welcoming new members to the team is vital to CSC’s long-term goals. Mr. Phillips said “We adopted a 5-year Strategic Plan in October 2020 and a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Plan in January 2021. These plans clearly identify our goals and are used to hold our Leadership, Board, Staff, and Institution accountable for living our stated values. One of the pillars of this work was to actively grow the perspectives represented among all levels of our staff, Leadership, and Board of Trustees. We consider this Leadership transition essential as we work to serve our updated mission statement and bring ‘Shakespeare and the Classics to life for all.’”

Opportunities to meet these new team members in person will be available during the 2021-2022 Season. More information on each of the new Leadership Team Members is below:

Kate Bindus is the new Production Manager at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Kate previously served as the Associate Production Manager and Stage Management Intern at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Prior to her tenure at CSC, Kate worked at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, The Goodman Theatre, and the Cleveland Public Theatre. Kate is from Cleveland, OH. She attended Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio and majored in the Theatre Design and Technology with a focus in Stage Management.

Candice Handy is the new Director of Education at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, where she has been a Resident Ensemble Member for four seasons.  Candice has been a teaching artist and theatre educator for the past eight years including workshops and classes for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, where she completed the Bruce E. Coyle Acting Internship. Before accepting her new position at CSC, Candice founded the Cincinnati Black Theatre Artist Collective, where she is the Artistic Director. Candice is a native of Birmingham, AL. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences from Alabama State University and her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, with a focus in the African American theatre experience from the University of Louisville.

Maddie Regan is the new Managing Director at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. At CSC, Maddie has previously served as the Production Manager and the Director of Operations and Production. During this time, Maddie facilitated the design, commissioning, and grand opening of The Otto M. Budig Theater, a $17.5MM world-class facility in Over-the-Rhine and the artistic home of the CSC. Prior to her tenure at CSC, Maddie was the Director of Operations for one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the United States, served as an Associate Producer for an internationally touring musical, and traveled the world as a Production Manager for Royal Caribbean International.  Maddie is a 2021 recipient of the Over the Rhine Chamber of Commerce Employee of the Year Made Award, a graduate of Cincinnati USA Region Chamber C-Change Class 15, an elected Precinct Executive in Hamilton County, the inaugural recipient of the Golden Quill Award with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and a regular participant of multiple community organizations in Norwood, Ohio. Maddie regularly serves as a guest lecturer for the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Carnegie Mellon University, and Miami University covering a wide variety of topics including production budgeting, business planning, and arts administration. Maddie is from Falls Church, Virginia and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with concentrations in Production Technology and Management.

Crystian Wiltshire is the new Associate Artistic Director. Before accepting this position, he served as Museum Theatre Director at Historic Locust Grove where he helped begin their Museum Theatre Program that emphasizes stories of the enslaved peoples of Kentucky. He has worked for several years as a teaching artist, performed as a Resident Ensemble Member and most recently directed with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. While performing for Actors Theatre of Louisville, he directed multiple productions of their Professional Training Company’s Solo Mio Project. Crystian is from Brooklyn, NY and graduated from the University of Louisville majoring in English with a minor in Theatre.

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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for all.  In the summer of 2017, the theater relocated to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC’s repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics.  CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater Association.  Each year, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reach over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions.  In 2015, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!