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Rick Lombardo (born March 24, 1959) is a prolific and award-winning American theatre director, playwright and adaptor. He is the former producing artistic director of San Jose Repertory Theatre, and the former Artistic Director of New Repertory TheatreActors' Equity Association, [1], "Boston's New Repertory Theatre Has a New Home"], 01 March 2006 in Watertown, Massachusetts. Lombardo is currently the artistic director of Penn State Center Stage, and the director of the School of Theatre at Penn State University and the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture.
He is an executive board member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers SocietyStage Directors and Choreographers Society, [2] "Rick Lombardo, Southwest Regional Rep"] and a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley. He currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, actress Rachel Harker.Brooke M. Haney, [3], Interview with Rick Lombardo, Artistic Director of San Jose Repertory Theatre, 10 March 2010
During this time Lombardo also became the founding artistic director of Stillwater Theater Company in New York City, and later as artistic director of The Players Guild in Canton, Ohio.Steven Winn, [5], "Rick Lombardo to head San Jose Rep"
In 1997 Lombardo became the artistic director of New Repertory Theater, then located in Newton, Massachusetts. Over the next 12 years Lombardo would be credited with bringing in a younger audienceLouise Kennedy, The Boston Globe [6], "The House Lombardo Built - and Left Behind" and leading the company to a larger and more profitable theatrical venue in the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown, Massachusetts where the company currently resides.
Lombardo left New Rep after the 2008–09 season to helm San Jose Repertory Theatre in San Jose, California after a national search was conducted to replace outgoing Artistic Director Timothy Near.San Jose Repertory Theater Website,[7], "The History of San Jose Rep"
In 2013 Lombardo assumed the role of Producing Artistic Director of the company after a vote by the board of trustees to change the leadership model from a dual CEO structure to a single CEO model.Broadway World News, [8] "Rick Lombardo Assumes New Role of Producing Artistic Director for San Jose Rep", 01 November 2013San Jose Mercury News, Karen D'Souza / "San Jose Repertory eases cash crunch with donation drive", 01 November 2013
In June 2014, the San Jose Repertory Theatre board of trustees informed Mr. Lombardo that they had voted to close the theater as he was in rehearsal for American Premiere of "Landscape With Weapon" by Joe Penhall. About the closing, Lombardo had this to say:
In July 2014 Lombardo began production of his original musical (co-written with Kirsten Brandt, and Haddon Kime) “The Snow Queen: A New Musical” for The New York Musical Theatre Festival. This production won both a favorable review from The New York Times as well as an award for Best Overall Design which Lombardo shared with David Cuthbert (lighting and projection designer), Frances Nelson McSherry (costume designer), and Haddon Kime (co-sound designer.)
In April 2015 Lombardo accepted an offer to become chair of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. While at Kennesaw State University Lombardo led the initiative to create a summer professional Shakespeare company called Shakespeare Kennesaw,
In June 2018 Lombardo accepted a position as the director of the School of Theatre at Penn State University, and the artistic director of Penn State Center Stage, a professional arm of the Penn State School of Theatre which serves as a training program for emerging theatre professionals.
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