Grant Mudge Named Next Ryan Producing Artistic Director at Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival

Grant Mudge has been named the Ryan Producing Artistic Director of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. Mudge succeeds Jay Paul Skelton who departs after the conclusion of 2012 season of the Festival to pursue a research degree in England. Peter Holland, Associate Dean for the Arts in the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Notre Dame, recently made the announcement. "We chose Grant after an extensive national search. His success in building the Richmond Shakespeare Festival shows that he has the track-record and the talent to help us take the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival forward to an ever more exciting future," Holland explained.

"Grant is exactly the right person to bring the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival to the next level," says Skelton, who also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at Notre Dame. "We've built a wonderful home for world-class productions, including conservatory training for students from across the country, and extensive outreach programs within our many communities. It's certainly difficult to leave, but Grant will bring new and exciting energy to the organization. "

Mudge brings over fifteen years of experience as Artistic Director for Richmond Shakespeare for whom he has produced, directed and/or appeared in 50 productions and more than 2,100 performances. Grant holds a B.A. in English and Theatre Arts from the University of Richmond. He will begin his tenure as the Ryan Producing Artistic Director at the end of the 2012 NDSF season.

Shakespeare at Notre Dame is a pre-eminent center for the study of Shakespeare in performance, educational outreach, and academic research. Shakespeare at Notre Dame includes the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, Actors From The London Stage, visiting guest artists and lecturers, touring productions, and new media library collections.