Ithaca Shakespeare Company
Mission
The Ithaca Shakespeare Company is dedicated to making Shakespeare clear and exciting to everyone. Our goal is to bring Shakespeare's works to life in productions that combine the highest artistic quality with broad audience appeal.
Our approach to Shakespeare is built on the core principles of:
- dynamic ensemble acting
- close attention to the details of language, character, and relationship
- a strong component of physical action
- staging that forges a historical bond with the practices of Shakespeare's own theatres
- performances that immerse the audience in the action and emotion of the play.
As an organization, we are committed to:
- providing educational programs and materials of exceptional quality for students, theatre personnel, and the general public
- cultivating a supportive and collaborative creative environment for both local and non-local theatre artists
- presenting theatrical experiences that are powerful, moving, exciting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking for viewers of all ages and backgrounds.
Vision
From the very beginning, we have had a vision of creating an Ithaca Shakespeare Festival. Given Ithaca's beautiful locations, deep pools of theatrical talent, and unique spirit, there could not be a more perfect place for an event like this.
As we envision it, the Ithaca Shakespeare Festival would:
- present productions that combine the highest artistic quality with broad audience appeal
- cultivate an attitude towards our actors and theatre artists that is friendly, welcoming, collaborative, and collegial
- involve as many segments of the Ithaca community as possible in the festival and the events and activities surrounding it
- draw audiences to Ithaca from all over the country
“Shakespeare’s complex portraits of human motivation keep us rapt...a tale as fresh today as four centuries ago.”