Diane Claussen & Cree Rankin
Partnering with Chicago Theatres
DIANE CLAUSSEN
Diane Claussen is Managing Partner of 3C Theatre Partners and an Associate Professor and Head of Theatre Management at The Theatre School at DePaul University in Chicago. Prior to joining the full-time faculty in 2018, Diane worked as a Managing/Executive Director for close to three decades. Most recently, Diane served as the Managing Director of the Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts at Northwestern University where she also co-created and co-lead the Theatre Management Module.
Diane has been the Managing/Executive Director of Court Theatre at the University of Chicago, Paper Mill Playhouse and George Street Playhouse in New Jersey, and at Philadelphia Theatre Company. Diane’s industry and community volunteer work includes President of the League of Chicago Theatres and board leadership positions for New Jersey Theatre Group, ArtPRIDE NJ, Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia and the Rotary Club of Evanston. She has consulted for American Stage Company, Georgia Shakespeare, Music Theatre Works, and Emerald City Theatre, and she is a member of the Advisory Board for Mudlark Theater. Diane is currently Co-President of the Association of Arts Administration Educators and Co-Editor of the American Journal of Arts Management. Diane received her MBA/MA in Arts Administration from Southern Methodist University and B.A. degrees in Theatre and Communications from the University of Washington. Diane and Court Theatre received the ABBY Award for Arts Management Excellence from the Arts & Business Council of Chicago.
Photo Credit: DePaul University/Jeff Carrion
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CREE RANKIN
Cree Rankin is a casting director, a teaching artist and theatre education specialist, and most recently was a Community Engagement & Education Associate for Congo Square Theatre Company. He was the Casting Director at Court Theatre 2002 - 2017 where he coordinated and oversaw the casting of over 70 Court Theatre productions. In 2012 he coordinated casting for Paul Stovall’s IMMEDIATE FAMILY, produced by Martian Entertainment LLC of New York at the Goodman Theatre. In 2017 he coordinated the Chicago casting for Robert O’Hara’s production of MACBETH at Denver Center for the Arts. He has also coordinated Chicago casting projects for Kansas City Rep, Long Wharf Theatre Company in New Haven, CT and Windy City Playhouse in Chicago.
From 1991 through 1997, Cree was the assistant director of the Touring Theatre at George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick where he also served as the Education Director. Cree was also the Artists-in-the-Schools Director for Court Theatre, working in six partner schools on the south side of Chicago; employing numerous teaching artists accomplished professionally in their respective disciplines. As a teaching artist he has worked with Playwrights Theatre of NJ, NJ Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Project Read in the New York City Schools, and Urban Gateways in Chicago. He has a B.F.A. in acting from Florida State University and received his M.F.A. in directing from Tulane University. In 2011, Cree was presented with the Spirit Award from Actors' Equity Association in recognition of his dedication to non-traditional casting and equal opportunity.
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Photo Credit: Joe Mazza
