Shakespeare Theatre

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY CREATES WORLD-CLASS (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION)

PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS: AT STC, A CLASSICAL PLAY IS DEFINED NOT ONLY BY THE CALIBER OF ITS LANGUAGE, BUT BY THE TIMELESSNESS OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCES AND DILEMMAS IT ADDRESSES AND THE PROFOUND QUESTIONS IT POSES. FAMILY, LOVE, POWER, CORRUPTION, ARE ALL THEMES WITH RELEVANCE TO PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND, WHICH ARE ESPECIALLY TIMELY IN LIGHT OF CURRENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES.SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1985, STC HAS STAGED MORE THAN 150 PRODUCTIONS, INCLUDING EVERY PLAY IN SHAKESPEARE'S RECOGNIZED CANON, AND REACHED OVER 2.5 MILLION AUDIENCE MEMBERS. STC PRODUCES 6-7 MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS ANNUALLY. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SIMON GODWIN CULTIVATES A SEASON OF NEW AND CLASSIC THEATRE RANGING FROM SHAKESPEARE PLAYS TO NEW REVIVALS AND WORLD PREMIERES, NEW COMMISSIONS, MUSICALS, AND INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS, TELLING VITAL STORIES IN AUDACIOUS, NEW WAYS THAT SPEAK TO A WIDE AUDIENCE.SHAKESPEARE IS OUR MUSE, AND STC'S FRESH TAKES ON WELL-KNOWN PLAYS SOLIDIFIED STC'S REPUTATION AS T "THE NATION'S FOREMOST SHAKESPEARE COMPANY" (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL) (PRODUCING "A REPERTORY OF CLASSICS THAT NO NEW YORK THEATRE OF SIMILAR SIZE AND SCALE CAN MATCH" (THE NEW YORK TIMES). STC HAS ATTRACTED MAJOR RECOGNITION INCLUDING THE 2012 REGIONAL THEATRE TONY AWARD AND 100+ HELEN HAYES AWARDS.THE THEATRE COMMISSIONS ADAPTATIONS OF CLASSIC PLAYS SUCH AS AESCHYLUS'S "THE ORESTEIA" IN 2019, ADAPTED BY ELLEN MCLAUGHLIN AND "PETER PAN AND WENDY," AN ADAPTATION OF J.M. BARRY'S EARLY 20TH C. NOVEL BY AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHT LAUREN GUNDERSON. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SIMON GODWIN HAS EXPANDED INTO AMERICAN CLASSICS, PRODUCING JAMES BALDWIN'S "THE AMEN CORNER" IN 2020, THE FIRST MAJOR PRODUCTION SINCE ITS 1955 PREMIERE AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND THORNTON WILDER'S PULITZER PRIZE WINNING OUR TOWN IN 2022. EQUITY, ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVITY ARE CORE TO STC'S MISSION, AND UNDER GODWIN'S LEADERSHIP, STC INITIATED "THE SHIFT," A MULTI-YEAR PLAN TO INCREASE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSIVITY AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE ORGANIZATION, FROM THE ACTORS AND WORKS ONSTAGE, TO STAFF AND BOARD, TO EXTERNAL PARTNERS. THE DIRECTOR OF EQUITY AND ENRICHMENT, A SENIOR STAFF POSITION CREATED IN 2020, MANAGES INTERNAL EQUITY ISSUES AND WORKS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES TO RECRUIT DIVERSE CANDIDATES AND CULTIVATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS WITH DIVERSE AND MINORITY-LED ORGANIZATIONS. TO MAKE THE THEATRE MORE ACCESSIBLE, STC OFFERS FREE OR DISCOUNTED TICKETS TO STUDENTS, VETERANS, SENIORS, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT COULD NOT ATTEND OTHERWISE. STC'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS CURATED BY STC'S STAFF, PODCASTS FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH ARTISTS AND DIRECTORS FROM CURRENT PRODUCTIONS, PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND ART ORGANIZATIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND MORE.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS: STC'S ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS PROVIDED ARTS EDUCATION EXPERIENCES TO OVER 100,000 CHILDREN AND ADULTS . THROUGH ACCESSIBLE, HIGH-CALIBER EDUCATION PROGRAMS LED BY PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS, STC TOUCHES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS, AND THROUGH STC ACADEMY, ITS GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM, STC FOSTERS THE NEXT GENERATION OF CLASSICAL ARTISTS.RENAMED AS STC LEARNING, THE TEAM MAINTAINS LONGTIME PARTNERSHIPS WITH ALL DC PUBLIC AND PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS SCHOOLS IN MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA. WORKING WITH LOCAL TEACHERS, STC INTEGRATES COMMON CORE-ALIGNED THEATRE ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING INTO INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS. BORN OUT OF NECESSITY DURING THE PANDEMIC, STC IS DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE ONLINE PROGRAMS TO REACH PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STC OFFERS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. THE LEARNING DEPARTMENT OFFERS THREE LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: 1) STUDENT MATINEES, THE LARGEST EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, BRING STUDENTS FROM THE DC, MARYLAND, AND VIRGINIA TO THE THEATRE FOR AN STC MATINEE AT LITTLE COST, PROVIDING MANY STUDENTS THEIR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO LIVE THEATRE. PERFORMANCES ARE SUPPLEMENTED BY PRE-SHOW WORKSHOPS AND POST-SHOW TALKBACKS; 2) WORKSHOPS SEND TEACHING ARTISTS TO LOCAL CLASSROOMS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS STUDYING SHAKESPEARE WITH PERFORMANCE-BASED ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE ACTIVE LEARNING; AND 3) RESIDENCIES PROVIDE A CLASSROOM WITH 10 TEACHING ARTIST-LED WORKSHOPS, DURING WHICH STUDENTS EXAMINE THREE DIFFERENT PLAYS THROUGH A VARIETY OF LENSES INCLUDING SET DESIGN, COSTUMES, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, TEXT DISSECTION, AND MORE. STUDENTS THEN CHOOSE ONE OF THESE PLAYS AND CREATE A FINAL PERFORMANCE BASED ON WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED IN THEIR WORKSHOPS CULMINATING WITH STUDENTS FROM EACH CLASS DEVELOPING AND PERFORMING THEIR OWN VERSION OF A SCENE FROM THE PLAY AT A "FESTIVAL DAY" FOR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND OTHER PARTICIPATING CLASSROOMS. STC ALSO OFFERS A VARIETY OF ACTING CLASSES FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, AS WELL AS 10 WEEKS OF CAMP SHAKESPEARE FOR AGES 5 18.STC OFFERS NUMEROUS FREE PROGRAMS INCLUDING DISCUSSIONS, PODCASTS, "ASIDES," STC'S DRAMATURGICAL MAGAZINE PRODUCED FOR EACH PLAY, A COMPREHENSIVE "GUIDE TO THE SEASON'S PLAYS," ALONG WITH ADULT CLASSES IN ACTING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FORBOTH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL ACTORS. STC'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS BUILD CONNECTIONS WITH DC RESIDENTS AND LOCAL ARTISTS. STC HAS DEVELOPED PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE TO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING COMPLEMENTING THE WORK ON STAGE LIKE 2020'S "AMEN BALDWIN: A LIVING CELEBRATION," WHICH OFFERED A FILM SERIES, PERFORMANCES, EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES, AND MORE. STC PARTICIPATES IN REGIONAL FESTIVALS, PROVIDING DEMONSTRATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND OFFERS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS.IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, STC OFFERS A MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF ACTORS. THE ACADEMY FOR CLASSICAL ACTING (ACA) IS FULLY ACCREDITED AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE. NOW ENTERING ITS 24TH YEAR, THE ACA TYPICALLY ACCEPTS ONLY 18-20 APPLICANTS PER YEAR TO ENSURE RIGOROUS, INTENSIVE TRAINING. STUDENTS OFTEN SERVE AS UNDERSTUDIES IN MAJOR STC PRODUCTIONS, AND ALUMNI PERFORM IN PROFESSIONAL THEATRE COMPANIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.