Ridgely keeps pushing theatrical boundaries, most recently by guiding St. Louis Shakespeare Festival through its 25th season with bold collaborations, such as Romeo & Zooliet, a puppetry-rich adaptation staged at the Saint Louis Zoo. Ridgely believes the arts industry is eager to reward innovation. “If you can offer something new, different, and special, then people will get excited about it,” he says. “It’s forcing the arts sector to grow and adapt, to listen more carefully. And also to hold itself to an even higher standard for what it puts out there.”
2025 QUESTIONNAIRE
PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
What has you most excited about the future of your company or industry? Innovation is being rewarded. If you can offer something new, different, and special‚ then people will get excited about it. It’s forcing the arts sector to grow and adapt, to listen more carefully. And also to hold itself to an even higher standard for what it puts out there. Because the converse is also true.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why? The fear that’s creeping into programming choices. It’s been a rough couple years for the theater industry as a whole. I understand the impulse to want to play it safe. But that’s not how we make the best case for ourselves as an artform. Everyone’s wondering what’s next, it’s our job to venture out into the unknown and try to answer that.
What’s the toughest business challenge you’ve had to overcome (excluding the pandemic) and why? Moving from a model that’s been almost totally free – so almost entirely based on philanthropy – to one that has a stronger mixture of earned revenue has been a huge challenge. It’s been a big shift culturally within the organization, and in terms of messaging with our audience, but it’s what’s allowed us to grow as quickly as we have. And most importantly it’s helped us deliver on our mission and make a bigger impact. We’re doing more free shows in more communities now than we ever have.
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MENTORS & PEERS
To whom or where do you go for sound business advice? First to my team. They know our business better than anyone. Then to our board. They have a lot of context, but also more of an outside perspective. After that to the lifetime of reading and observation, to the examples of other leaders you can draw inspiration from. And ultimately, within. Once you’ve gathered all the input, you’ve got to weigh it against your own values and experience and trust that it’ll point you in the right direction.
Do you have a business mentor? If so, who and why? I’ve been lucky enough to have a few. The one that’s probably had the biggest impact on me is a guy by the name of Barry Edelstein. He’s the artistic director of the Old Globe out in San Diego. And he’s not only a great Shakespearean, he’s one of the most brilliant guys I’ve ever met. And one of the nicest, and most principled. A very thoughtful leader. Definitely a huge role model.
What piece of advice has had the most significant impact on your career? Early on I had a mentor who liked to talk about the three Cs: craft, community and career. And the idea was basically: if you focus on just your own craft and your own career and you don’t build relationships, you’re only gonna go so far. And similarly, if you don’t really hone your craft, and you’re just in it for the social aspect and your own advancement, that’s also really gonna limit you. But if you work really hard at getting better at the thing you want to do – and you show up for the people you’re in it with—the career part will take care of itself.
If you could have dinner with any two area business leaders, who would you choose and why? Well, definitely Penny Pennington. I just find her endlessly inspirational. She’s got that unbelievable focus and discipline and integrity. But also such a genuine warmth and generosity and interest in everyone she meets. Really the epitome of leadership with purpose. And then Dave Steward, because I’ve never met the guy and he seems incredible.
Who is the most interesting under-the-radar/emerging business leader in St. Louis and why? She’s not under-the-radar, but Erin Warner Prange is turning Saint Louis Dance Theatre into a truly first-class organization, which is so great for St. Louis. She’s as smart and tough as they come, and I’d say in three to five years, she and Kirven will have gotten it up among the most important contemporary dance companies in the country.
What is one thing you would change about the St. Louis metro area business environment and why? The abandonment of downtown. There is no way on Earth the region can thrive without the business community committing to a meaningful and ongoing presence there. It’s the heart of St. Louis and there is no substitute for it. We need real leadership from our leaders on that one.
BACKGROUND
Where were you born? Indianapolis.
What was your childhood aspiration? To be the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it? One summer in high school I was on the crew that ran the carousel at the Indianapolis Zoo. I learned that as much I love the zoo, not every job at the zoo is an awesome job. There’s also probably a metaphor in there somewhere about a carousel.
What educational degrees do you hold, and where were they earned? I’ve got a B.A. in Theater and Spanish from Indiana University.
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
If you were not in your current profession, what would you be doing and why? Here’s the thing about people in the theater: they don’t have a backup plan. If they did, they’d be doing it. You’ve gotta be a little crazy and very single-minded to do this for a living.
What is your favorite St. Louis-area restaurant, and what do you typically order there? It’s hard to pick a favorite. I love the Little Gem Salad at Union Loafers and the Palm Sugar Ribs at Indo. Gioia’s and Crown Candy are special. So is Pickles. There I do a tuna and Swiss on wheat with lettuce, tomato, and a little salt and pepper, plus whatever that insanely good frosted cookie is they have there. We like going to Louie, Peacemaker, and Olive + Oak when it’s just us. Dewey’s, Burro Loco, or Applebee’s with the kids.
What is one item you recently crossed off your bucket list? I like to run, but since I moved to St. Louis my 5K time started dropping and it’s taken forever to get back up. But I finally ran a personal best in STL. I felt like I was gonna pass out, but I did it.
What is one book you think everyone should read (or podcast everyone should listen to) and why? Ain’t But A Place, Gerald Early’s collection of writing on the Black experience of St. Louis.
What’s your hobby/passion? Music and tennis are the two things that I do the most that are purely for pleasure. I can’t get over how much great music humanity has created. I listen constantly and feel like I’m just scratching the surface. And I love how international tennis is. And how social. How you can start as a kid and play it your whole life.
What is your most prized possession? I’m not big on possessions, but the things I’d be saddest to lose would be my wedding ring and my Beatles in Mono box set.
What would people be surprised to learn about you—a fun fact? I was a pretty serious ballet dancer for awhile. In college and shortly after, those were my first gigs in New York. I took the class at Steps that Barysnikov would drop into from time to time. We got to go across the floor together one time and the choreographer from Hamilton taught an amazing class I used to love to take. Lots of great memories and fun stories from that time.
What is your go-to karaoke song? I don’t do it. I love singing in the car or even by myself, but I don’t need to put on a show. Probably the same reason I don’t feel like dressing up for Halloween. I spend plenty of time in make-believe worlds at work.
