My Nonprofit Reviews

Shakespeare & Co. is an amazing company that not only presents beautifully directed, acted, and staged Shakespeare plays, but also presents new works and adaptations of classic and comtemporary literature. I've become more and more committed to this company and try to see as many of their productions as I can.

Among its particular strengths are: actors who really know how to handle Shakespearean language; directors who are brilliant at finding the humor in Shakespeare (and not just polite smiles, but all-consuming laughter that leaves you gasping for breath); gorgeous costumes; one-person and small-cast plays that showcase particular talents; at least one just-for-fun play each year; and loads of opportunities to learn more about Shakespeare and his world in free presentations.

This year, I attended "Women of Will," in which Tina Packer (the company's founder) and Nigel Gore acted and discussed scenes that revealed Shakespeare's evolving portrayal of women in his plays. Also saw "Richard III," and chatted about it with a visitor from England who said it was probably one of the best productions of the play she'd ever seen. Another highlight was "The Taster," written by regional playwright Joan Ackerman, an incredibly moving piece with parallel story lines set in the middle ages and contemporary time.

I could go on at length, but I finally want to mention the work Shakespeare & Co. does with regional high schools, staging an annual festival in which each school presents its own production of a Shakespeare play. I have had the chance to see some of these productions, and the students' work and the degree to which they become devoted to the effort are quite extraordinary.

The financial problems that have plagued the company in recent years are being addressed and corrected with additional professional leadership. I hope these changes will guarantee Shakespeare & Co's survival.

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