MONTGOMERY, ALA.: Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) has selected Madeleine Lambert to become the next associate artistic director. She succeeds longtime deputy artistic director and education director Greta Lambert (no relation), who retired this year after 38 years with the company.
“Madeleine is not a stranger to ASF,” said artistic director Rick Dildine in a statement. “She understands and is invested in our mission, vision, and values. My priorities in filling the role of associate artistic director were to find someone who is passionate about Montgomery, is a superb artist, and is a person of great integrity. Madeleine has all these and more.”
Lambert is a leader, performer, and educator. As an Equity actress, Madeleine has performed in plays at regional theatres across the country, including not only ASF but also Geva Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Play House, Trinity Repertory Company, The Gamm Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre Company. She originated the role of Susan B. Anthony in the world premiere production of The Agitators at Geva Theatre Center. She has also performed in television and is an award-winning audiobook narrator. Lambert first came to ASF in 2020 to perform in The Agitators and Alabama Story. She returned in 2022 to perform in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.
“I felt an immediate connection to ASF and to the community of Montgomery,” said Lambert in a statement. “ASF is a world-class institution that values creativity and collaboration. I am committed to building upon the theatre’s reputation for artistic excellence and to expanding the theatre’s reach both within Alabama and beyond.”
As a producer and team leader for Hidden Voices, she produced a national social justice art installation on over fifty college and university campuses. While teaching at Duke University, Lambert created storytelling initiatives to resolve conflict and to create change. In collaboration with Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lambert was the director of Duke in Chicago: STARTup Arts Entrepreneurship Program 2017. As a performance coach with Stand & Deliver, Lambert led and designed programs for teams and executives at corporations such as Google, Cisco, Genentech, and UBS. She is most passionate about her mentoring of female social impact entrepreneurs selected by the prestigious Cartier Women’s Initiative. Madeleine Lambert is a graduate of The School at Steppenwolf, where she was an instructor in text analysis and monologues. She has taught and led workshops at The University of Chicago, Brown University, and Colgate University.
“I bring to the role of associate artistic director a commitment to programming that enriches the cultural and civic life of Alabama,” added Lambert. “As ASF continues to broaden the cultural identity of the South, I look forward to nurturing long-standing creative relationships and to championing new and emerging artists. It is an honor to collaborate with a staff of creative thinkers and visionaries who are committed to integrity and excellence.”
Alabama Shakespeare Festival is among the 10 largest Shakespeare festivals in the world, housed in the Carolyn Blount Theatre in Montgomery, Ala. ASF seeks to build community by engaging, entertaining, and inspiring people with transformative theatrical performances and compelling educational and community programs.
