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Denice Hicks (Artistic Director) has been working for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival since 1990, and has held the position of Artistic Director
from 1998-2002 and since 2005.
Local audiences might know her best as an actress, having worked on Nashville stages since 1980. For Shakespeare in the Park, she directed the Asian-influenced Macbeth, as well as lively versions of The Tempest, and Twelfth Night. For The Festival's Winter Shakespeare at Troutt Theater, she has directed Hamlet and most recently the critically acclaimed Vaudeville-styled Richard the Third. An avid advocate for empowering students with Shakespeare, Denice has edited and directed touring productions of Shakespeare’s works, developed workshops for students of all ages, and created the Festival’s Apprentice Company Training Program.
Educated at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa, she moved to Nashville in 1980 to perform at Opryland. Denice was an original company member of the Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and was among the founders of both the Darkhorse Theater and of People’s Branch Theatre. An Ingram Fellowship award winner, her work has been praised by the Tennessean, Nashville City Search, and The City Paper, among other publications, from which she has received “Best Actor” and “Best Director” acknowledgments.
 Robert Marigza (Operations Manager) first became involved with The Nashville Shakespeare Festival as a cast member in the 1994 Shakespeare in the Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Over the last twelve years, he has variously served the Festival as actor, stage manager, technical director, crew, production assistant, teacher, and volunteer. In the summer of 2005, he was appointed Interim Managing Director for the company. He has served as producer for Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Hamlet, Coriolanus, Richard the Third, and the 2007 Shakespeare Theatre Association of America Conference. As a professional actor, Robert has worked with Nashville Children’s Theatre, Mockingbird Theatre, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, People’s Branch Theatre, Actors’ Bridge Ensemble, and Broadaxe Theatre, as well as in commercials and independent films. As a teacher, he has taught Shakespeare and Creative Drama at Nashville Children’s Theatre. Robert received training at Shakespeare & Company and Mary Washington College.
 Claire Syler (Education Director) received a BA in Theatre from the University of Missouri and a MFA in Directing from the University of Memphis. In addition to being the Education Director for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, she is an adjunct faculty member at Belmont University and a teaching artist for TPAC Education. As a director and actress, Ms. Syler's professional credits include The Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Green Room Projects, People's Branch Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, Missouri Repertory Theatre, and the Huron Playhouse.
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