Category: News

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has announced their upcoming season which will begin in late winter of next year, instead of the customary autumn start. The specific run dates of the performances have not been announced yet, but the announcement of the 2021 season is an encouraging sign for theatre audiences in the San Francisco Bay Area who have been waiting to see how COVID-19 will affect regional theatres next season.

“The launch of our 2021 season is a promise to our patrons that we will be back and we will reopen when it is deemed safe to reopen,” said Managing Director Susie Medak. “It also signals our investment in the future—a return to normalcy, and the future of Berkeley Rep.”

Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer announced the 2021 season in a video to audiences, revealing it will include three world premieres, one of which, Swept Away, was slated to premiere during the 2019-20 season before being canceled.   

“I feel incredibly grateful at this moment to be able to look toward the future, and to plan for a time when Berkeley Rep will once again be a place where we will gather,” said Pfaelzer. “The plays and musicals in this upcoming season include stories of lovers, of activists, of dreamers, of sacrifice, and of hope.”

Sanctuary City

Performances begin in late winter 2021.

Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok brings us an urgent story about the power of perseverance, the promise of safety, and the question of who is entitled to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Two young DREAMers fight like hell to establish a place for themselves in America, the only country they know as home. Berkeley Rep gives this unforgettable play its West Coast premiere.

Wintertime

Performances begin in late winter 2021.

Berkeley Rep welcomes back Charles L. Mee and Les Waters, who have brought so much delight to audiences with shows such as Fêtes de la Nuit and Big Love. With a wink to Magritte, a nod to Shakespeare, and a toast to the Greeks, Wintertime plunges us gleefully into the center of the strange and surreal terrain we call love.

Jonathan brings Ariel to his family’s summer house in the winter woods and plans to propose. Then his mother Maria arrives with her lover Francois, and his father Frank shows up with his lover Edmund—and soon nothing goes as planned. Generously embracing this family in all their chaotic, beautiful humanity, this exhilarating rollercoaster of a play whisks us up the peaks of romance, then down to the depths of jealous despair, never letting us forget that love, like life, is always in motion.

Octet

Performances begin in spring 2021.

Three-time Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) makes his Berkeley Rep debut with his latest award-winning off-Broadway hit, Octet. Eight internet addicts gather IRL to share their stories via a transcendent score for an a cappella chamber choir and an original libretto inspired by online comment boards, scientific debates, religious texts, and Sufi poetry.

More than a takedown of our smartphone addictions, Octet is a sublime and revelatory experience that asks how we can find ways to be truly present with each other.

Cambodian Rock Band

Performances begin in spring 2021.

The award-winning hit show that rocked audiences across the country and off Broadway comes to Berkeley Rep! In this darkly funny, electric new play with music, a young woman attempts to piece together her family history and bring a Khmer Rouge war criminal to justice 30 years after her father fled Cambodia. With a live band playing contemporary Dengue Fever hits and classic Cambodian oldies, this thrilling story toggles back and forth in time as father and daughter face the music of the past. San Francisco-born, Steinberg Award-winning playwright Lauren Yee receives her Berkeley Rep debut with Cambodian Rock Band, which was developed in the Ground Floor Summer Residency Lab.

Swept Away

Performances begin in late spring 2021.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch) blew the roof off Berkeley Rep in 2009 with Green Day’s American Idiot. Now he returns with a captivating world premiere musical, this time featuring a book by Tony Award-winning stage and screen writer John Logan (Red, Broadway’s Moulin Rouge!, Skyfall, Gladiator), and music and lyrics by “America’s biggest roots band” (Rolling Stone) and multiple Grammy Award nominee The Avett Brothers.

1888, off the coast of New Bedford, MA. When a violent storm sinks their whaling ship, the four surviving souls—a young man in search of adventure, his older brother who has sworn to protect him, a captain at the end of a long career at sea, and a worldly first mate who has fallen from grace—each face a reckoning: How far will I go to stay alive? And can I live with the consequences?

The Ripple, the Wave That Carried Me Home

Performances begin in early fall 2021.

In this world premiere commissioned by Berkeley Rep, playwright Christina Anderson exquisitely evokes a story about justice, legacy, memory, and the ultimate challenge of forgiveness.

Janice’s parents are prominent activists fighting for the integration of public swimming pools in 1960s Kansas. As injustice penetrates the warm bubble of her childhood, Janice grows apart from her family and starts a new life far away. When she receives a call asking her to speak at a ceremony honoring her father, she must decide whether she’s ready to reckon with her political inheritance and a past she has tried to forget.

Goddess

Performances begin in fall 2021.

Berkeley Rep presents the world premiere of a sultry new musical with a book by award-winning playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), a score by composer Michael Thurber, and conceived by director Saheem Ali.

A young man returns home to the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya to marry his fiancée and step into his family’s political dynasty. But when he visits Moto Moto—a steamy afro-jazz club and the stomping ground of his youth—he finds himself drawn to a mysterious new singer. Inspired by the myth of Marimba, who created beautiful songs from her heartbreak, Goddess is infused with contemporary romance, ancient magic, and the irresistible vibes of African, jazz, and R&B music.

You can view Pfaelzer’s full video announcement below:

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Subscriptions for the 2021 season are available now for purchase. Berkeley Rep offers three package options, ranging from a seven-play subscription to a pay-as-you-go option. Subscribe here.

Further cancellations and postponements have been announced by Seattle Theatre Group and Broadway at The Paramount regarding their three remaining shows of the 2019-2020 season, Anastasia, Mean Girls and Chicago, as well as the upcoming 2020-21 season.

The three remaining summer performances at The Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle have either been postponed or canceled in response to COVID19 and social distancing orders. Anastasia, which was scheduled for June 16–21, has been postponed with hopeful reschedule dates of December 15–20, however, these dates have yet to be confirmed.Ticketholders are asked to hold on to their tickets until reschedule dates are confirmed.

Mean Girls, scheduled August 4–9 has been canceled, but will be rescheduled as part of the 2021-22 season. Chicago, which had been rescheduled from April performance dates to August 20–23, has been canceled along with the entire National tour.

The National tours for Blue Man Group (November 6–8) and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (December 8–20) have also been canceled, and subsequently Broadway at The Paramount’s engagements along with them.

Tickets for all canceled performances have been returned to the ticketholder’s package and can be used for other Broadway at The Paramount performances.

The Band’s Visit (October 6–11) has been rescheduled for July 6–11, 2021. Ain’t Too Proud (January 13–24, 2021) has been rescheduled for next summer as well: August 24–29, 2021.Tickets for these performance has been transferred to the reschedule dates automatically and ticketholders can review their new performance dates by logging into their Seattle Theatre Group account.

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To see the entire updated schedule, please view our Events Calendar or visit Seattle Theatre Group’s website.

Village Theatre has announced that they will move KIDSTAGE, their youth education program, online for the summer session following a successful virtual spring quarter. Classes will take place on Zoom and begin on June 6.

As social distancing orders continue and planning for summer education and activities begins, organizations are looking at alternative ways to keep their programs running. Village Theatre is no exception. KIDSTAGE, the regional theatre’s youth education program, is one of the most extensive musical theatre programs in the country, reaching over 5,000 children and teens each year.

With such a developed and essential program, it’s no wonder Village Theatre is reluctant to cancel programming for the summer, when many kids need the interaction the most. “Connecting with peers and having a safe place for self-expression has really helped our students deal with the isolation of quarantine,” said Director of Youth Education Kati Nickerson of the successful spring quarter, which began holding virtual classes online after the stay-at-home order went into effect.

KIDSTAGE is open to children and teens entering Pre-K to age 20 and will run June 6 to July 24. With over 30 summer classes, KIDSTAGE will have themed courses for younger children, like Frozen, Star Wars and Harry Potter, while classes for teens include acting for the camera, songwriting and technical theatre. Village Theatre is planning to offer camps at both their Issaquah and Everett locations after July 27 if state orders allow.

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KIDSTAGE courses are open for enrollment now through Village Theatre’s website.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s critically acclaimed Broadway musical will be making its screen debut much earlier than originally announced with the help of Disney+, The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service. The film, directed by Thomas Kail, will give audiences at home “the best seat in the house” according to Miranda.

The original Broadway production of Hamilton astounded audiences and critics alike when it premiered in 2015. The musical tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with some modern twists. The show’s music is heavily influenced by hip hop, R&B, pop and soul, as well as more traditional show tune styles. The casting is consciously diverse, with people of color playing Founding Fathers and other historical figures.

This modernized take on American history won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, among many other accolades for the original staging and subsequent productions.  

With all the hype comes a difficulty in obtaining tickets. After continually selling out on Broadway, Hamilton went on the road with a North American tour in 2017. Tickets were notoriously difficult to get and many that weren’t able to attend have been waiting for the second round of touring, which will hit the West Coast next year—in time for COVID-19 closures to hopefully be at an end.

Perhaps in response to the public’s inability to access live theatre in recent months, The Walt Disney Company, along with show producers Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and Thomas Kail, decided to fast track the release of the film. Originally planned to be released on October 15, 2021, it will now be available to all Disney+ subscribers on July 3—just in time for Independence Day celebrations.

“I’m so grateful to Disney and Disney+ for reimagining and moving up our release to July 4th weekend of this year, in light of the world turning upside down,” Miranda stated. “I’m so grateful to all the fans who asked for this, and I’m so glad that we’re able to make it happen. I’m so proud of this show. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

The version to be released was filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in 2016. The cast includes Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.

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Can’t wait to see the show from home? Check out our special edition Encore arts program that was published for the Broadway touring production that came to The Paramount Theatre in Seattle in 2018.   

The two-day fundraising event raised $18.4 million for 1,630 nonprofit organizations in Washington. There were over 88,300 individual donations that were made on May 5 and 6.

This year’s donations have far surpassed those of 2019, suggesting that increasing the event from a single day to two days was a smart move. In addition to extending the event, GiveBIG collaborated with GivingTuesday, a global generosity movement that culminates in a day of global giving (May 5). GiveBIG recognized the increased need from nonprofits due to COVID-19 and stepped up with increased social action and partnerships to respond effectively.

In 2018, GiveBIG was in danger of disappearing after the Seattle Foundation, who had managed and promoted the event since 2011, announced they wouldn’t continue the following year. However, 501 Commons stepped in and worked closely with the Seattle Foundation to become GiveBIG’s new home in 2019.

Understandably, the change in command caused some growing pains that affected the total donation amount. Last year—the first with 501 Commons managing the event—raised $11.4 million. No pocket change, but also not as impressive as the numbers before the organizational changes.

But this year, with their legs under them, new partnerships, and an extended deadline, GiveBIG 2020 has surpassed their goal and raised the most in donations since 2016. Considering we are currently in a time of a global pandemic, with many people out of work and certainly everyone trying to save money, it is astounding—and inspiring—that this year’s GiveBIG was such a success. You only need to look at the numbers to see that in times of crisis we will still come together to invest in the organizations that ensure our community thrives.

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You can check out GiveBIG’s leaderboard to see how much each nonprofit raised this year.

Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Wooden O was scheduled to run July 9–August 9, and present The Comedy of Errors and Othello.

A day after Washington Governor Inslee announced the extension of the stay-at-home order and the multi-staged plan for the summer months, Seattle Shakespeare has announced that their free Shakespeare in the park program, Wooden O, is canceled. Although expected, it is just one more disappointment of our current reality.

Seattle Shakespeare Artistic Director George Mount sited the health and wellbeing of patrons, artists and staff to be paramount, even if it means canceling their entire summer of performances.

However, Mount hinted that audiences should still expect some form of entertainment from Seattle Shakespeare, stating, “We do hold out hope that some make-shift, impromptu, pop-up events or online surprises could happen, if safe conditions and guidelines allow. Stay tuned for any and everything. As we’ve all experienced in the last several weeks, things change rapidly and often unexpectedly.”

Twenty-six years ago, Wooden O had its inaugural season with three performances of Much Ado About Nothing at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island. Since then it has grown, now touring 14 different parks around the region from Everett to Tacoma. Last summer, Wooden O performed to more than 12,000 patrons over two months—all free of charge.

As daunting as current circumstances may be, for audiences and the theatre, Seattle Shakespeare is looking forward to the summer of 2021, when they will perform the plays they planned for this year, The Comedy of Errors and Othello. So let’s look forward with them, to a time when we can pack a picnic basket, spread out a blanket, and enjoy a performance of Shakespeare in our beautiful parks.

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During this difficult time, theatres are being hit especially hard. Seattle Shakespeare Company is currently throwing their annual fundraiser, Bill’s Bash. Now through May 4, you can make a donation, host a mini-bash with your friends, and register for the silent auction. The live auction and celebration will take place on May 3 at 5:30 p.m.   

Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) has announced that they will be releasing video recordings of three ballets from their repertoire for free: One Thousand Pieces (2020), Swan Lake (2018), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2019). The entire run of One Thousand Pieces was unfortunately canceled earlier this season due to COVID-19, so this recorded performance is entirely new to the public.

In addition to the three ballets that will be released for anyone to view for free, PNB will be releasing two more ballets—Giselle (2014) and Waiting at the Station (2013)—to donors, subscribers, and ticket purchasers of the respective ballets. The videos will be released over the next two months, beginning this evening, May 1 with One Thousand Pieces. The videos will be available on PNB’s Facebook page and their YouTube channel.

Over the past month we have seen numerous organizations move from the stage to the screen, doing everything they can to stay connected to their audiences during these tumultuous times. PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal spoke to our new reality, saying, “It’s hard to imagine a ballet company that doesn’t offer live performances, but in this new world we live in, we adapt as best we can. At PNB, we keep dancing, making music, creating choreography and lifting spirits. We see ballet as an essential art form and we know our audiences do too. How proud we are to share these inspired rehearsals and performances with you.”

Pacific Northwest Ballet earns over 75% of its funding through ticket sales and the PNB School tuition, much of which has been lost. So as you tune in, consider donating to the wonderful dancers, musicians, administrative and artistic staff that are bringing the ballet to your home. Donate to Pacific Northwest Ballet.  

One Thousand Pieces

May 1–6, 2020 (available to the public)

This ballet by Seattle-favorite Alejandro Cerrudo (Little mortal jump, Silent Ghost), was to be a Pacific Northwest Ballet premiere. The large-scale ensemble work is inspired by artist Marc Chagall and features the music of Philip Glass. This video was recorded at the final dress rehearsal on March 12, 2020.

Giselle

May 8–13, 2020 (available to donors, subscribers and Giselle ticket holders)

Giselle, the story of a young woman who dies of a broken heart, is famous for the Wilis—a sisterhood of ghostly maidens who call Giselle’s spirit from the grave to take revenge on the nobleman who betrayed her. This production uses the choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa, and Peter Boal, with music by Adolphe Adam. This is an archival video from opening night on May 30, 2014, featuring Kaori Nakamura and Jerome Tisserand.

Swan Lake

May 22–27, 2020 (available to the public)

Ever since Kent Stowell’s stunning new production of Swan Lake marked the grand opening of McCaw Hall, audiences have been awestruck by its transcendent beauty and power. This most famous of classical ballets is a tour de force on all levels: Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, spectacular costume and scenic designs, plus a ballerina’s hallmark achievement, the dual role of Odette/Odile. This video was recorded at the final dress rehearsal on February 1, 2018, featuring Noelani Pantastico and Seth Orza.

Waiting at the Station

June 5–10, 2020 (available to donors, subscribers and Pite-Tharp-Liang ticket holders)

Waiting at the Station is a short narrative ballet choreographed by Twyla Tharp and set to a collection of compositions—both old and new—by R&B artist Allen Toussaint. Scenic and costume designs by Santo Loquasto set the scene in 1940’s New Orleans. This video was recorded at the final dress rehearsal on September 27, 2013.This video release will also include tributes to departing dancers Benjamin Griffiths and Margaret Mullin.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

June 24–29, 2020 (available to the public)

A garden of delight for all ages, PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—Shakespeare’s comic tale of romantic confusion—charms all who wander into its enchanted realm. Set deep in a lush Northwest-inspired forest, the ballet follows the quarrels of the King and Queen of the Fairies and mayhem of mismatched lovers, abetted by mischief-maker Puck. This video was recorded at the final dress rehearsal on April 11, 2019, featuring Laura Tisserand and Kyle Davis.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Seattle Rep are providing tickets to their audiences for a one-night-only musical event that will be live streamed on May 10 from Florence, Italy.

Hershey Felder will give a one-time-only performance this Mother’s Day as “the immigrant songwriter who gave America a voice.” The event, live streamed from Florence, will be presented and hosted by Hershey Felder Presents, but tickets are being sold by regional theatres across the country, including Seattle Rep, TheatreWorks and Berkeley Rep. A portion of the ticket sales will go back to the regional theatres, so theatres are asking patrons to purchase from the theatre they’d like to support.  

Hershey Felder has found himself quarantined in Florence during these unprecedented times. In a letter to audiences he said, “As otherworldly as it is here, I am still drawn to the many theatres that have given me homes over the years, and so together we have created a nationwide event paying tribute to America’s greatest songwriter, Irving Berlin. Proceeds from this event will benefit each of the many participating theatres throughout the nation.”

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, which has been performed in theatres nationally and internationally, features beloved songs such as “God Bless America,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “White Christmas” and more. They will be performed on a set created as Irving Berlin’s home on Beekman Place in Manhattan, safely in a quarantined space.

Hershey Felder stated that in addition to the original performance he will be performing, “new additional material that speaks to our times, as well as a few surprises.” Also, audiences will be able to ask questions, sent in by text, which he will answer live.   

Tickets for the event are available for $50 per household through Seattle Rep, TheatreWorks and Berkeley Rep. The event will be streamed on May 10 at 5 p.m. PST, 7 p.m. CST, 8 p.m. EST. The performance will be available to view for 72 hours after the event and runs for 1 hour and 45 minutes, plus a 10-minute talkback.

Updated May 4, 2020: Updated to include Seattle Rep as an additional theatre which is selling tickets to the performance. Previous versions only included TheatreWorks and Berkeley Rep.

Are you at your wits end trying to come up with ways to keep your children occupied during the shelter-in-place order? With many people in the country social distancing for the past month, and facing a few more weeks, finding new activities for kids may seem impossible.

Local arts organizations understand the difficulty and are offering a myriad of ways to help. We’ve assembled a list of performing arts organizations from the Greater Seattle Area and San Francisco Bay Area that are providing both educational and fun resources for toddlers to teens. These range from arts and crafts, to sing-alongs, to reading resources. So grab those kids and embrace the home life.

Literary Study

California Shakespeare Theater is offering its library of in-depth study guides to support students, teachers, and parents during school closures. Dive into Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, black odyssey, and many more. View full guide list.  

This Friday and the following week, you and your teen can join Seattle Rep on Zoom for their book club on Jane Austen’s Emma. The book club will discuss themes, characters and adapting the story for the stage. Plus, they will host a teens-only discussion following the general public portion of the book club where they will host activities like chapter discussions and writing exercises. Join now.

Music and Sing-alongs

Every Saturday morning, Seattle Opera presents Opera Time, a musical storytelling program lead by a teaching artist. Opera Time is appropriate for children in pre-K through 2nd Grade. This week’s installment features an easy at-home craft (make your own shaker instrument—out of an empty toilet paper roll!) and an interactive, sing-along reading of children’s book Mortimer. View videos all on YouTube.

Every week, Seattle Symphony presents new family programming videos for young ones. Meet the Instrument teaches children about orchestra instruments by musicians of the Symphony. Tiny Clips for Tiny Tots is hosted by John Turman (read our interview with him here) and includes sing-alongs and musical clips shared by members of the orchestra. This week’s focus is on percussion. View all videos on YouTube.   

Arts, Crafts and More

Seattle Children’s Theatre is offering daily activities as part of the SCT @ Home program. With an aim of keeping small hands and minds busy, the activities include games, coloring pages, drama activities, crafts and more. The range from fun to educational, including subjects like social and emotional learning from The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane or puppet building from Pinocchio. View all activities here.

Seattle Children’s Theatre is also presenting Ghost Light Stories every Friday evening. These 15-minute episodes take a look at things that scare us, thrill us, and ignite courage. The stories are hosted by Kathryn Van Meter, interim artistic director. View videos here.

California Shakespeare Theater is challenging all K through 12th Grade students to perform their favorite 90-second Shakespearean monologue and to upload it to social media as part of #ShelterHereabouts K–12 Edition. When uploading the video, use the hashtags #ShelterHereabouts, #Calshakes, and #CreateAtHome, and tag @calshakes and @calshakesconservatory. Cal Shakes will repost on their social media platforms and website for all to enjoy.

Seattle Shakespeare Company is inviting you and the kids to participate in a Shakes-bear Hunt. As part of a nation-wide effort to provide a bright spot during this time, people are placing bears in their windows for children (and adults!) to find as they spend time outside. Seattle Shakespeare is inviting you to join in with Ruffles Shakesbear. They’ve created their own bear that you and your kids can print out and place in the window of your home for others to find. And if you happen to see Ruffles when you are out and about, be sure to take a picture and tag @seattleshakespeare.

This week, we celebrate William Shakespeare’s birth. While the exact day of the Bard’s birth is contested, it is generally observed on April 23, which is also the day he died 52 years later. With social distancing, stress and sickness affecting our everyday lives, it is the perfect time to lose ourselves in the Forest of Arden, or get swept up in the passion of young lovers. Even losing our minds along with a young prince may seem preferable for an afternoon. So to help lose ourselves in the worlds and words of the Bard, and to honor his life, we’ve compiled a list of ways to celebrate.

Romeo and Juliet

Former Shakespeare’s Globe Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole’s 2009 production brings refreshing clarity to one of Shakespeare’s most famous and best-loved tragedies, drawing out the contemporary relevance of this passionate teenage love story. This production from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is streaming for free through May 3. Watch on YouTube.

Much Ado About Nothing

For the first time in over four decades, Great Performances presents a Public Theater production recorded live at Free Shakespeare in the Park. After a highly successful, critically acclaimed run at the outdoor Delacorte Theater in New York City’s Central Park, Much Ado About Nothing is a bold interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece featuring Danielle Brooks as Beatrice. This recording is available through March 26. Watch now.

Run the Canon

A 10-minute weekly video lecture series with Resident Dramaturg of California Shakespeare Theater Philippa Kelly. Covering every single one of Shakespeare’s 37 plays over 37 weeks, Kelly will bring the same breadth and insight that she does to her famous pre-show Grove Talks. Watch on Youtube: The Tempest and Love’s Labour’s Lost.

Ruff Reads

Seattle Shakespeare Company will host a free live stream reading of Romeo and Juliet with the cast of the company’s spring touring production. The live stream event will be hosted by Artistic Director George Mount with Education Director Michelle Burce serving as moderator. A brief Q&A session will follow the reading. The event will take place on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Watch on YouTube.

Interactive Study Guides

California Shakespeare Theater is offering their library of in-depth study guides for teachers, students and Shakespeare enthusiasts everywhere. The study guides include plot summary, character descriptions, histories of the plays, study of Shakespeare’s language and more. View the full archive.

Encore Arts Programs

Explore our archive of programs for productions from Seattle Shakespeare Company and California Shakespeare Theater to dive deeper into the shows they’ve produced in the past. Programs include notes from the dramaturg and creative team, information on the play, and other articles.