2026 A.B. Dick Lecture and Reception

Description

Join us for the 2026 A.B. Dick Lecture with honored guest Barbara Gaines, an innovative arts leader and founder of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Barbara Gaines will present a talk titled, "Creating a Shakespeare Theater in Chicago, and Bringing the ‘Chicago Shakespeare Theater’ to the World.” Guests are invited to join us for a special reception immediately following the lecture.

Gaines is an American theater director, impresario, and actress. She founded Chicago Shakespeare Theater and stepped down from being the Artistic Director of the CST in 2023 after 37 years. Currently, she is a member of the Shakespearean Council for the Globe Theatre in London. She has also served on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Lake Forest College in 2009. In 2005, she was named an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire.