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Kelli Strickland to Replace Megan Wildebour as Hypocrites’ Managing Director

It’s not just the artistic directorship that’s changing hands at the growing Chicago ensemble.

CHICAGO: Fresh on the heels of an artistic director turnoverthe Hypocrites will soon change out managing directors, as well: Megan Wildebour will step down from her position in March after six years. She will stay on as a member of company’s artistic council, charged with giving guidance to the company’s incoming executive director, Kelli Strickland, and Hypocrites artistic director Sean Graney.

Megan Wildebour.
Megan Wildebour.

“I proudly step aside as the company’s first managing director after six years of amazing growth, both for the company and in my own career,” Wildebour said in a statement. “I’m excited to find my next challenge at the same time as helping the Hypocrites’ forward momentum. I feel we are incredibly lucky that Kelli has agreed to lead the Hypocrites into the next phase of institutional building.”

Strickland comes to The Hypocrites from Chicago’s north side where she has served as Raven Theatre’s executive director for the past two years and the director of education and outreach from 2007-2013.

“I look forward to collaborating with Sean on a plan that will expand audiences for the Hypocrites’ inventive and engaging work,” said Strickland in a statement. “Like most things Sean does, the vision is big. The intent is to not only cultivate a stronger theatregoing community here in Chicago, but to share the work nationally. We need to build a lasting infrastructure to make that happen.”

Kelli Strickland.
Kelli Strickland.

During her time at the Raven Theatre, Strickland wrote and enacted the theatre’s first strategic plan. The plan reserved funding for a major facility improvement project set to begin this spring and doubled the theatre’s revenues.

In addition to her experience at the Raven, Strickland brings 20 years of experience as an arts educator and consulting work in program development, evaluation and arts learning assessment.

Graney created the Hypocrites in 1997.

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