University of Minnesota Board of Regents
Van Hallgren: 'It feels like my whole life has led to this.'
When Carrie Van Hallgren read the job posting for a new managing director position at American Players Theatre last winter, she had two thoughts: that with a national reputation for exceptional classical theater in a rustic setting, APT could hire anyone it wanted, potentially drawing from the best arts administrators in the country. And that this was undoubtedly her dream job.
In January 2015, her dream will become a reality. A native of Platteville who grew up next door to the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival, Van Hallgren will join artistic director Brenda DeVita as co-leaders of American Players Theatre. She will head the administrative side of the Spring Green organization, including finance, marketing and development.
"It feels like my whole life has led to this," Van Hallgren says. Growing up on a steady diet of Shakespeare in southern Wisconsin, working in Milwaukee with artists who had summer homes in Spring Green, I feel really fortunate to be joining that team."
Van Hallgren, indeed, may be uniquely qualified for the leadership role at APT. She attended her first Shakespeare play in Platteville at age three, then graduated to playing a fairy onstage in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. As a youngster, when she wasn't performing at the (now defunct) Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival, she sold programs. For her eighth birthday, she asked to attend a production of King Lear at APT featuring one of the theater's founders, Randall Duk Kim, in the lead role.
Her early interest in theater grew, and she has pursued it, both educationally and professionally, ever since. Van Hallgren holds a B.A. in theater history from Davidson College and an M.F.A. in theater management from Yale School of Drama. She comes to APT from the University of Minnesota, where she served as producing director of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance. Previously, she was on the faculty of Davidson College and served as managing director of Milwaukee Shakespeare and interim general manager at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. At Yale Repertory Theatre, Van Hallgren was both associate managing director and company manager. Her 17-year career also includes positions in the education and artistic departments at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Van Hallgren says she is looking forward to moving to Spring Green from her current home in St. Paul and becoming part of the community. She's also excited to be working with DeVita and the rest of the APT staff.
"One thing I learned when I was visiting during the interview process was how much history everyone on the team brings," she says. "The newest person in the company has been there for five years. I'm looking forward to learning from artists, craftsman, administrators and the board. That's a gift, to have so many people who have seen the company evolve from its beginnings, to the organization's midpoint, to now."
