Mission

Using Shakespeare's works as a cornerstone, our mission is to bring fun and accessible indoor and outdoor theatre, integrated school programs, and cultural enrichment for people of all ages and backgrounds.

What We Do

In 1972, Robert "Bob" Glenn, inspired by New York Shakespeare Festival's egalitarian mission, performed a free one-man version of Hamlet at Fair Park's Band Shell and the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas was born. The company, now Shakespeare Dallas, brings accessible indoor and outdoor theater for people of all ages and backgrounds. Integrated school programs and cultural enrichment offerings have been added over the years.

Shakespeare in the Park has grown into four fully produced plays each year featuring classically trained actors. Since 1989, Shakespeare Dallas' main production has been in Samuell-Grand Park in southeast Dallas. With its outdoor venue and all-access ticket pricing policy, annual attendance numbers reach upwards of 30,000. 2019 saw the inaugural indoor Winter Season in the Dallas Arts District.

Since 1984, Shakespeare on the Go! has served 600,000 North Texas students with in-school arts education programming. 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, it has evolved into an elementary tour and a middle/high school tour, after school drama classes, summer camps and, more recently, digital arts education resources.

Added in 2006, the community engagement program Shakespeare Unplugged enhanced the company's mission to serve a diverse community of adults with targeted programming. It includes a book club, regular events and intensive acting workshops. 2017 saw the completion of a five-year partnership with AT&T Performing Arts Center in which Shakespeare's entire canon was performed in a staged reading format.

Staying true to mission through 2020's challenges, the company focused on filmed projects such as Shakespeare and the Suffragists, virtual events and digital classroom content.