Richard Garner (Producing Artistic Director and co-founder)

Trained as an actor at the American Conservatory Theater and in theatre administration at Double Image Theatre in New York, Richard has guided Georgia Shakespeare from a 4-week summer season in 1986 to a LORT D company producing year-round mainstage and educational programming.  As a director, he most recently directed Much Ado About Nothing, The Glass Menagerie, Noises Off, his world-premiere adaptation of The Odyssey: A Journey Home at Georgia Shakespeare and Tom Key’s adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces at Theatrical Outfit.  As an actor, he most recently appeared as Charlie Aiken in August: Osage County at the Alliance Theatre Company.  In addition to numerous shows for the GS mainstage and Shakespeare for Students tours, Richard has guest directed at the Alliance Theatre Company, Theater Emory, Gainesville Theater Alliance, and Springer Opera House.  He has served as a grants panelist for Theater Communications Group, Georgia Council for the Arts, South Carolina Arts Commission and is the past president of the Shakespeare Theater Association.  He won a 2012 Suzi Bass Award for Best Director, was a 2011 finalist for the Zelda Fichandler Directing Award and has been recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia Theater Conference, the Flourish Award for Arts Leadership from Kennesaw State University, the ABBY Award for Outstanding Arts Professional from the Arts and Business Council of Atlanta and as a LEXUS Leader of the Arts in Atlanta.  He has a B.A. in English and Theater from Berry College and a two-year conservatory certificate from the American Conservatory Theatre.

Richard lives in Lake Claire with his wife, Karen Robinson, a professor of theatre at Kennesaw State University.  In addition to working in the theatre, he is an avid collector of southern folk art, international naïve art, southern folk pottery and enjoys getting in his sea kayak whenever he can.

Lauren Morris (Managing Director)

Lauren was a theatre artist for 10 years in the Midwest before receiving an M.B.A and M.F.A. in theatre management for Cal State Long Beach.  She has worked in various roles - from actor to director to manager - at the following theatres: Indiana Repertory Theatre, Shawnee Theatre, Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre, Arden Theatre Company of Indianapolis, The Phoenix Theatre, Shadow Ape Theatre Company, Indy Fringe, Children's Theatre Institute, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, SummerStage Repertory Theatre, Brown County Playhouse, Summerstock Stage, California repertory Company, Chance Theatre, and California State University.  Immediately preceding her role at Georgia Shakespeare, she was Executive Director of Long Beach Playhouse, where she led a major artistic and financial turnaround of the revered 82-year-old institution.  Lauren is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

She is now enjoying living in Atlanta, and when she not at the theatre, she is an avid reader and yoga practitioner.

Jennifer Bauer-Lyons (Director of Company Initiatives)

Jennifer’s career in the arts spans both the creative and the administrative. She most recently worked for Horizon Theatre Company serving as the Managing Producer & Founder/Director of the Apprentice Company. Jennifer has also worked creatively with Theatre in the Square, Essential Theatre Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Opera Memphis, University of Memphis, and Waco Civic Theatre; and administratively with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago. She holds a MFA in theatre Directing from the University of Memphis and BA in Vocal Music performance, Theatre, and English from Ripon College and is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the professional national labor union.