Paul Hildebrand
Assistant Professor of Theatre
(812) 866-7264
hildebrand@hanover.edu

Education:
B.A., College of William and Mary; M.F.A., Catholic University of America

Bio:
Paul joined the faculty of Hanover College kin the fall of this fall of 2004. Before coming to Hanover, Paul was co-chair of the Theater Department at Virginia’s Eastern Mennonite University, and has taught Theater and Speech at James Madison University, Mary Baldwin College, and Blue Ridge Community College. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary in 1969, and after two years in the army (69-71), earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater from Catholic University (‘73).

Paul worked for the National Endowment for the Arts from 1972-75, in its Architecture and Environmental Arts Program. In 1976, Paul became the Artistic Director of the New Playwrights Theater of Washington, an innovative independent theater in the nation’s capital, specializing in the discovery and presentation of new, creative talent.

In 1979, Paul moved from Washington DC to Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, where he founded what was to become a nationally and internationally credited theater company, ShenanArts. During his 18 years at its helm, ShenanArts earned a global reputation for development of new plays by international playwrights, and for its work with young people. Paul directed over 30 productions with ShenanArts, and another thirty-plus were presented and performed under his artistic supervision.

A specialist in the performance of 12th century liturgical drama, Paul was the stage director for the Ensemble for Early Music’s notable production of THE PLAY OF DANIEL. Originally mounted and performed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, the production subsequently toured to major arts festivals around the world over a five year period, including Scotland’s Edinburg Festival, Jerusalem, Rome, Sicily, Finland, Poland, Australia, Hong Kong, and both Spoletto Festivals, in Italy and Charleston, South Carolina, as well at many college and community venues across the U.S.

Paul has staged the FILIUS GETRONIS (“Son of Getron”) with the Folger Early Music Consort at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. He was the stage director for a film of the VISITATIO SEPULCHRI (“The Visit to the Sepulchre”) from the Fleury Playbook, which was filmed at the Abbaye St. Benoit de Fleury in France. He has explored most of the plays in the Fleury Playbook in various workshop settings with other early musicians and singers.

At Hanover, Paul heads the directing program, and teaches NonWestern Theater and Theatre Management. Paul also produces the College’s Guest Artist Series, bringing five major performance events a year to the campus and community. He recently served on the individual artists’ grant review panel for the Indiana Arts Commission, and participates in theatre advocacy and networking organizations in Indiana.

This summer Paul will be traveling to Nepal to observe and study Nepali Theatre and network with Nepali theatre artists.