Shakespeare Dallas
Mission
Using Shakespeare’s works as a cornerstone, Shakespeare Dallas serves the Southwest region with fun and accessible indoor and outdoor theatre, integrated school programs and cultural enrichment for people of all ages and backgrounds.
Vision
Shakespeare Dallas aspires to be a nationally-recognized “peoples theatre” that creates and develops audiences and artists, provides an essential and beloved experience and is a company poised for future growth.
History
In 1972 long-time Dallas actor, director, producer and author Bob Glenn was inspired to bring Shakespeare to the masses. He performed his free, one-man version of “Hamlet” at Dallas’ Fair Park and a theatre company was born. Initially known as the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, we have evolved into the area’s premier theatre company performing Shakespeare.
Our Programs
We are perhaps best known for Shakespeare in the Park, our outdoor performance series held at Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre in East Dallas. Each summer and fall, the company performs fully produced plays featuring classically trained actors. With a pleasing, family friendly setting, affordable ticket price and the ability to bring in your own food and beverages, Shakespeare in the Park has been a staple of many North Texan’s cultural experiences for years. Our typical annual attendance often exceeds 30,000 guests. In recent years, the company added a Winter Season held in the Dallas Arts District.
But live performances aren’t all we do. In addition to indoor and outdoor productions, we offer a wide breadth of in-person and digital educational programming for grades 2 to 12. Our School and Youth Education Programs include summer camps, after-school drama classes and special Student Matinees with post-performance talkbacks and educator resources. Since its inception in 1984, these programs have served over 500,000 students in North Texas. We are also one of the few programs in the area based on the works of Shakespeare and designed using the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.
Adult Education was added in 2006. Our community engagement programs serve a diverse community of adults with book clubs, events, acting workshops and more.
“Nothing says summer in Dallas quite like Shakespeare in the Park. For 50 years now, the Bard of Avon’s fans have been unfurling blankets, laying out picnics, and popping the corks on glistening bottles of chilled wine before enjoying an evening of expert iambic pentameter under the stars.”