Shakespeare Theatre

Programs: Performing arts programs - the shakespeare theatre company (stc) believes that a classical play is defined not only by its poetic language or its influential playwright, but also by the timelessness of the themes and questions that it poses to its audience. The universal themes of family, love, patriotism, and leadership depicted in stc's mainstage offerings are relevant to, and relatable by, all people. Furthermore, many of the themes found in classic plays are particularly relevant to contemporary washington, d. C. Audiences in light of national and international political, social, and economic realities. Since its founding in 1985, the shakespeare theatre company has performed more than 150 productions including every play in shakespeare's commonly recognized canon for over 2. 5 million audience members. With each mainstage season stc stages six classic plays including the works of shakespeare and his 16th century peers, commissions of infrequently staged classics, plays written by 19th and 20th century playwrights which are destined to become classics, and musicals and international presentations based on classic texts and stories. The plays of shakespeare are at the core of stc's mission. In addition to the bard's frequently staged works, the shakespeare theatre company's audiences have enjoyed his rarely performed plays including "coriolanus" (1991, 2000, 2013), "the two gentleman of verona" (2001 & 2012), "henry iv part two" (2004 & 2014), "titus andronicus" (2007), and "cymbeline" (2011). Stc's fresh takes on well-known plays-such as a "photo-negative" production of "othello" starring patrick stewart (1997), and a "king lear" set in the chaotic atmosphere of post-soviet yugoslavia and starring stacy keach (2009)-have solidified stc's reputation as "one of the world's three great shakespearean theatres" (the economist) which produces "a repertory of classics that no new york theatre of similar size and scale can match" (the new york times). For its artistically excellent productions of the classics, stc has garnered important recognition including the 2012 regional theatre tony award and 101 helen hayes awards. Through stc's rediscovery commissions series, the theatre also aims to translate and adapt "lost" classic plays-or those that are infrequently produced and mostly unknown-and reintroduce these works into the standard american classical repertoire. For each rediscovered play, the theatre selects a modern playwright to translate, when necessary, and adapt the work while remaining faithful to the author's original intentions for the piece. Playwrights also modernize dated references and story elements that are unlikely to resonate with contemporary audiences. When the script is complete, the play is then staged as part of the shakespeare theatre company's mainstage season, published, and distributed to other theatres to encourage future stagings. Since 2010, this program has commissioned six adaptations of classic plays: pierre corneille's "the liar" (2010), jean-francois regnard's "the heir apparent" (2011), and alexis piron's "the metromaniacs" (2015)-each translated and adapted by david ives; friedrich schiller's "wallenstein" (2013)-translated, adapted, and condensed from three parts into one by former u. S. Poet laureate robert pinsky; oscar wilde's "salome" (2015)-adapted by yael farber; and richard brinsley sheridan's "the critic" (2016)-adapted by jeffrey hatcher. The theatre's efforts to reintroduce these plays in the american classical canon are succeeding. "the liar", "the heir apparent", and "the metromaniacs" have been staged in regional and collegiate theatres and "salome" travelled to london's national theatre. Stc is also committed to the production of modern classics-plays written by 19th and 20th century playwrights which are destined to endure as a part of the american classical canon-such as harold pinter's "old times" (2011), eugene o'neill's "strange interlude" (2012), and noel coward's "private lives" (2014). The theatre also stages artistically excellent musical theatre productions rooted in classic texts such as "candide" (2010) based on the 18th century novel by voltaire, "a funny thing happened on the way to the forum" (2013) loosely based on plautus's ancient fables, and "man of la mancha" (2015) inspired by cervantes's 17th century novel. In 2009, the theatre began the stc presents series with the singular north american engagement of the national theatre of great britain's "phedre" starring helen mirren. Since that time stc has presented international works by companies hailing from scotland, south africa, france, and ireland. The series has provided an opportunity to expose stc's audiences to important contemporary works aligned with the theatre's mission to promote the classics. With the 2014-2015 season, stc expanded these collaborations by offering a presentation as part of the theatre's mainstage season. Accessibility is central to the shakespeare theatre company's mission-stc believes in producing classical theatre of the highest caliber and making its work available to all audiences. It is with this core belief that the shakespeare theatre company created the free for all in 1991. Each year with the free for all, a shakespeare play from stc's recent repertoire is selected to be presented free of charge for area residents. The production is remounted for two weeks in the sidney harman hall for up to 12,000 audience members. The free for all is offered in conjunction with the targeted access programs citizens for shakespeare and ward nights in an effort to encourage attendance by diverse and unlikely audiences. Over the past 25 years, more than 650,000 people have attended shakespeare's plays for free at the shakespeare theatre company's annual free for all. Further underscoring stc's commitment to accessibility, the shakespeare theatre company created the state-of-the-art harman center for the arts not only to highlight its own classic theatre productions, but also to provide a true gathering place for local audiences that showcases theatre, music, dance, and film by other outstanding companies from the district, and beyond. Since the creation of the harman center for the arts, stc has collaborated with local small and mid-sized arts companies and assisted in building their organizational capacity and audiences through various programs, presentations, and rental opportunities. The shakespeare theatre company believes that supporting fellow performing artists and companies is an important component in building local audiences for the performing arts.

educational programs - to further the shakespeare theatre company's mission, stc's education department annually provides approximately 20,000 children and adults with arts education experiences through its roster of more than two dozen school, community engagement, training, and audience enrichment programs-each designed to deepen understanding of, and foster connection to, classical theatre. For adults, stc offers numerous free programs including a discussion series in conjunction with each mainstage production, podcasts, a dramaturgical magazine, a "guide to the season's plays, and numerous low-cost acting and professional development classes for businesses, teachers, veterans, and both amateur and professional actors. Stc also provides opportunities for 22 emerging classical theatre artists and administrators through a rigorous, year-long, paid fellowship program for recent college graduates. At the conclusion of the program, fellows go on to work for major theatres across the u. S. Including the shakespeare theatre company. For children, stc collaborates with over 100 maryland, virginia, and washington, d. C. Schools to integrate common core aligned theatre arts education programming into local classrooms through text alive! (a rigorous, semester long in-school program that culminates in student performance); shakespearience (a subsidized ticket and in-school workshop program); and district shakespeare (which brings one grade level at every dc public and public charter high school to stc, for free). Other programming for youth includes teen critic, camp shakespeare, and artists in the classroom. Stc also provides programming for children as young as five with school plays which offer one hour condensed shakespeare productions, both at stc and in schools. The education department also creates a common core aligned first folio teacher and student resource guide for all productions attended by school groups and provides these resources free of charge on the theatre's website. Stc's community engagement programs assist the theatre in connecting with dc residents and artists. Stc's free happenings at the harman happy hour series offers one hour performances that highlight the works of local artists. These curated performances align with the theatre's mainstage plays and provide an opportunity for local artists to develop an audience and receive payment for their performance. The theatre also participates in numerous festivals across the region by providing demonstrations and educational materials, and offers volunteer programs for high school and college students and the general public. Since 2000, the shakespeare theatre company, in conjunction with the george washington university, has offered a master of fine arts degree, to help develop the next generation of actors for classical theatre. Training no more than 16 actors each year, the academy for classical acting's one-year, fully accredited intensive graduate program focuses on the specific craft of performing shakespeare and other classical texts. Alumni from this program perform with reputable professional theatre companies from around the country.