Interview: Rick Dildine of CORE COMPANY at Children's Theater Company

For years, Children's Theatre Company has recognized its longtime Acting Company as a cornerstone of its productions. This season, the Minneapolis theater is expanding that tradition with the creation of a new Core Company, bringing together actors, designers, directors, choreographers, and other artists who play an ongoing role in the organization's creative work. The inaugural group includes seven artists with a mix of longtime CTC experience and newer collaborations. I spoke with Artistic Director Rick Dildine about what inspired the change, how the Core Company will shape future productions, and what it means for the theater's future.

CTC has had a longtime Acting Company. What led to the decision to expand it into a Core Company that includes artists from across the creative team?

Children's Theatre Company has a proud tradition of recognizing artists who have made lasting contributions to the organization through our Acting Company. Rather than replacing that tradition, I wanted to build upon it.

Theatre is the most collaborative of art forms. While actors are the public face of a production, every show is shaped by directors, designers, choreographers, composers, stage managers, and countless other artists whose creativity defines the audience's experience. It felt important that our artistic company reflect that reality.

The Core Company recognizes that theatre isn't created by individuals—it's created by ensembles of artists working together over time. By expanding beyond actors, we're investing in the relationships that ultimately make the work stronger.

It's also a reflection of the extraordinary artistic community we have here in the Twin Cities. These are artists whose work has shaped CTC for years, and who I believe can help shape where we go next.

The Core Company isn't a casting list—it's a community of theatre makers.

What does this change mean for the way productions are developed at CTC, both onstage and behind the scenes?

I hope it creates greater continuity.

In regional theatre, artists often come together for eight or ten weeks, create something meaningful, and then scatter to the next project. There's tremendous value in that model, but there's also something powerful about artists who develop a shared language over many years.

The Core Company gives us a group of trusted collaborators who can contribute not only to individual productions, but to the broader artistic life of the institution. They'll help us think about season planning, adaptations of classic literature, the commissioning of new work, mentorship of emerging artists, and how we continue evolving the experience we create for young people and families.

That continuity ultimately benefits audiences. When artists build long-term relationships, they become more adventurous. They challenge one another. They develop a deeper understanding of the institution and of the audiences they serve. Those are the conditions where truly memorable theatre can flourish.

Several members of the Core Company have worked at CTC for many years, while others are newer collaborators. What qualities were most important in choosing this inaugural group?

Artistic excellence was certainly important, but it wasn't the only consideration.

I was looking for artists who are deeply collaborative, endlessly curious, and generous in the rehearsal room. They're people who elevate everyone around them. They care as much about the success of the production as they do about their own contribution.

I also wanted a balance of experience and new perspectives. Dean Holt, Reed Sigmund, and Autumn Ness have become synonymous with Children's Theatre Company after decades of extraordinary work here. Alongside them are artists like Nisi Collins, Christopher Windom, Melanie Chen Cole, and Chauncy Thomas, whose creativity and collaborative spirit have made a tremendous impact on me and on our audiences.

Each brings a distinct artistic voice. Together, they represent the kind of creative culture we're working to build—one rooted in curiosity, generosity, and a shared commitment to making exceptional theatre for young people.

As you look ahead to the 2026–2027 season, what do you hope audiences will notice about the work of the new Core Company, and what do you hope it means for CTC's future?

I hope audiences notice productions that feel increasingly bold, cohesive, and deeply imagined—not because they know who's in the Core Company, but because they experience the results of artists who have developed trust and a shared artistic vocabulary over time.

The Core Company isn't intended to make every production look the same. Quite the opposite. I hope it gives us the confidence to take greater artistic risks because we're taking them alongside people who know one another, challenge one another, and share a commitment to excellence.

More broadly, I hope this sends a message about the kind of institution Children's Theatre Company aspires to be.

We want to be a place where artists build careers, not simply individual productions. A place where relationships matter. A place where experienced artists mentor the next generation, where ideas are developed over years instead of weeks, and where collaboration extends far beyond opening night.

Ultimately, that's how great artistic institutions endure. They don't just produce remarkable theatre—they cultivate remarkable artists and create an environment where those artists can do their very best work together.

Thank you Rick for your time. 

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