Cal Shakes Names Rebecca Novick New Director of Artistic Engagement

California Shakespeare Theater has announced the appointment of Rebecca Novick to the post of Director of Artistic Engagement., This new position, part of the organization's senior leadership team, will expand Ms. Novick's ongoing work with the Triangle Lab to focus on developing Cal Shakes involvement with all its constituents-artists, audiences, donors, students, board, and community partners-toward the goal of deepening relationships and integrating Cal Shakes into the lives of everyone we reach

"I am beyond thrilled that Rebecca is taking on this vital new role with the organization," says Cal Shakes Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone. "She brings a unique voice to the table as we focus our work over the coming years to connect Cal Shakes more deeply to our communities. As the Triangle Lab has been an extraordinary catalyst for questioning assumptions and methodologies in how we work, the work in Artistic Engagement will help strengthen our relationships with audiences up at the Bruns, partners in the communities, and students who participate in our Artistic Learning programs."

"As an artist I'm always looking for the opportunity to bring my twin passions for social justice and theater-making together, and this new position gives me the chance to investigate what happens when a theater asks itself how to matter more to its community," adds Rebecca Novick. "As Director of the Triangle Lab I led experiments exploring how to engage artists more deeply in community life; in this expanded role I am honored to be charged with weaving together how we make theater and how we build community."

Novick is a director and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has served for two years as the first director of the Triangle Lab-California Shakespeare Theater's research and development wing-which experiments with ways to integrate art more deeply into community life. Novick was brought on in the Early Stages of the Lab's development and led the process of conceptualizing the program, directing Lab activities, and securing funding for ongoing work. Previously, Novick was the founder of Crowded Fire Theater Company and served as its artistic director for ten years, growing the company from an all-volunteer group to one of San Francisco's most respected small theaters. She has developed and directed new plays for many theaters in the Bay Area and elsewhere, and her directing work has been recognized by the Goldie awards for outstanding local artists, among other awards. Novick has also held a number of arts management and consulting positions including serving as interim arts program officer for the San Francisco Foundation, project coordinator for the Wallace Foundation Cultural Participation Initiative in the Bay Area, and director of development and strategic initiatives for Theatre Bay Area. She regularly writes and speaks on issues relating to the arts sector; recent publications include contributions to 20under40, the GIA Reader, Howlround, Counting New Beans, and Theatre Bay Area magazine. Rebecca has a BA from the University of Michigan in Drama and Anthropology.