Alabama Shakespeare Festival announces newest associate artistic director

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Alabama Shakespeare Festival has named Madeleine Lambert as its newest associate artistic director.

According to ASF, as an Equity actress, Madeleine has performed in plays at top regional theatres across the country including Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Geva Theatre Center, Syracuse Stage, Cleveland Play House, Trinity Repertory Company, The Gamm Theatre, and Lookingglass Theatre Company.

Lambert first came to ASF in 2020 to perform in The Agitators and Alabama Story, ASF said. She returned in 2022 to perform in It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.

“I felt an immediate connection to ASF and to the community of Montgomery,” Lambert said. “ASF is a world-class institution that values creativity and collaboration. I am committed to building upon the theatre’s reputation for artistic excellence and to expanding the theatre’s reach both within Alabama and beyond.”

Madeleine Lambert- Alabama Story(Stewart Edmonds | (Source: ASF- Stewart Edmond))

While teaching at Duke University, Lambert created storytelling initiatives to resolve conflict and create change. She is passionate about bringing restorative processes to classrooms and communities, according to a release from ASF. As a Producer and Team Leader for Hidden Voices, a non-profit collective committed to a just, compassionate, and sustainable world, she produced a national social justice art installation on over fifty college and university campuses. In collaboration with Duke Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Lambert was the Director of Duke in Chicago: STARTup Arts Entrepreneurship Program 2017.

While a Performance Coach with Stand & Deliver, a global firm specializing in communication and leadership consulting, Lambert led and designed programs for teams and executives at corporations such as Google, Cisco, Genentech, and UBS. She is most passionate about her mentoring of female social impact entrepreneurs selected by the prestigious Cartier Women’s Initiative. She developed and led workshops on public speaking at the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt University, the release added.

“I bring to the role of Associate Artistic Director a commitment to programming that enriches the cultural and civic life of Alabama,” Lambert added. “As ASF continues to broaden the cultural identity of the South, I look forward to nurturing long-standing creative relationships and to championing new and emerging artists. It is an honor to collaborate with a staff of creative thinkers and visionaries who are committed to integrity and excellence.”

Lambert assumed the post following the retirement of Greta Lambert (no relation).

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