Nancy VanReece (Executive Director) became The Nashville Shakespeare Festival's first Executive Director in 2007. She had a successful eight-and-a-half-year career in entertainment, corporate and health care licensing for the world's largest performing rights agency, Broadcast Music Inc (BMI). She brought to NSF a total of twenty-five years experience in sales, marketing, promotion, and business development. She has also successfully lobbied public officials for fairness on the federal, state and local levels. She was the president of an independent advertising agency for eight years, as well as a successful manager for recording artists and record producers for nine years. Ms. VanReece moved to Nashville in 1986 after college at Baylor University, where she studied radio/TV and communications. She is a painter and published author. She was president of the board of directors for People's Branch Theater 2004-2006 and now serves on the board of directors for The Nashville Film Festival and on the Community Advisory Board for the Women's & Gender Studies department at Vanderbilt University.
Denice Hicks (Artistic Director) has been working for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival since 1990. Local audiences might know her best as an actress, most recently seen in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mistress Page), and The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Antonia). She directed the Asian-influenced Macbeth, as well as lively versions of The Tempest, Twelfth Night, and A Midsummer Night's Dream for Shakespeare in the Park. An avid advocate for empowering students with Shakespeare, Denice has edited and directed touring productions of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet, developed workshops for students of all ages, and created NSF's Apprentice Company Training Program. 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. She also enjoys working for the Nashville Children's Theatre, where she will next appear in Most Valuable Player in February. She has a 17-year-old son, Arlo Arntson, who is her most honored mentor and consultant.
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. As a professional actor, Mr. Marigza 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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