Rachel L. Fink

Rachel L. Fink serves as Lecturer of Theatre at Baldwin Wallace University and Managing Director of Cleveland Play House (CPH). A graduate of Case Western Reserve University and Yale School of Drama, she has over two decades of leadership in American nonprofit theatre. Her career spans transformative roles at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Theatre Bay Area, and Lookingglass Theatre Company, where she championed community engagement, arts access, and inclusive leadership.

Her educational background includes:

• M.F.A. in Theater Management from Yale School of Drama (now David Geffen School of Drama at Yale)
• B.A. in Theater Arts from Case Western Reserve University

Fink's professional focus lies at the intersection of theatre, social justice, and civic engagement. She has developed nationally recognized programs that leverage theatre for community building, youth development, and teacher training. Her leadership emphasizes operational innovation and strategic partnerships to stabilize and grow cultural institutions, particularly evident in her pandemic-era stewardship at Lookingglass Theatre and current revitalization of CPH.

Her honors include:

• U.S. delegate for the British Council’s Cultural Leadership Programme
• Aspen Institute Fellowship
• University of Chicago Fellowship
• Member of Leadership Cleveland Class of 2026

Fink has directed large-scale educational initiatives, notably founding Berkeley Rep School of Theatre which served thousands annually. She has secured operational stability for organizations through strategic planning and civic collaborations, including co-leading CPH's strategic and artistic planning with Artistic Director Michael Barakiva.

As Managing Director of CPH, Fink leads alongside Artistic Director Michael Barakiva to position the theater as a regional cultural anchor. She also contributes to national discourse through board roles at League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and CreativeOhio, and as a facilitator with artEquity, focusing on equitable practices in the arts sector.