Santa Cruz Shakespeare facts for kids
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| Location | Santa Cruz, California |
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| Founded | 2014 |
| Founded by | Marco Barricelli, Mike Ryan |
| Artistic director | Mike Ryan and Charles Pasternak co-artistic Directors. |
| Type of play(s) | Shakespeare |
| Festival date | July through September |
Santa Cruz Shakespeare is a yearly professional theatre festival in Santa Cruz, California. It started in 2014. This festival puts on plays by the famous writer William Shakespeare and other playwrights. It's a fun way to see live theater in the summer!
Contents
How Santa Cruz Shakespeare Began
Before Santa Cruz Shakespeare, there was a group called Shakespeare Santa Cruz. It began in 1981 at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). They performed plays by Shakespeare and others. These shows happened both indoors and outdoors. Their season usually ran from July to September.
Over time, the original company faced money problems. The university, which had helped pay their debts, could no longer afford to. In 2008, the theater needed to raise $300,000 to keep going. Amazingly, they raised over $400,000 in just 10 days!
However, in 2013, the university announced that Shakespeare Santa Cruz would close. This was sad news for many.
A New Beginning
After the announcement, people from the theater company decided to act. They wanted to keep the festival alive. In December 2013, a new group called Shakespeare Play On was formed. It was led by Marco Baricelli and Mike Ryan.
They started asking for donations online. By February 2014, they had raised over $1 million! This money allowed them to continue without the university's help. In March 2014, the new company changed its name to Santa Cruz Shakespeare. The New York Times called their comeback an "underdog success story."
First Shows and New Home
For its first season in 2014, Santa Cruz Shakespeare performed As You Like It, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and The Beard of Avon. All these shows took place on the UCSC campus.
In 2015, Mike Ryan became the main Artistic Director. The company put on Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, and The Liar. In 2016, the festival moved to a new special outdoor theater. This new home is in the Audrey Stanley Grove at Upper DeLaveaga Park in Santa Cruz.
Past Seasons and Plays
Santa Cruz Shakespeare has performed many plays over the years. Here are some of the shows they have put on:
- 2014
- As You Like It
- The Merry Wives of Windsor
- The Beard of Avon
- 2015
- Much Ado About Nothing
- Macbeth
- The Liar
- 2016 (First season at the Audrey Stanley Grove)
- Hamlet
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Orlando
- 2017
- Measure for Measure
- Two Gentlemen of Verona
- The 39 Steps
- 2018
- Love's Labour's Lost
- Romeo and Juliet
- Venus in Fur
- 2019
- 2020
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned season was postponed. Instead, they performed four plays as online readings.
- Henry VI Part I (Online reading)
- Henry VI Part II (Online reading)
- Henry VI Part III (Online reading)
- Richard III (Online reading)
- 2021
- The COVID-19 pandemic still affected the season. Some plays were postponed again.
- Troilus and Cressida (Online reading)
- The Agitators
- RII (an adaptation of Richard II (play))
- 2022
- Twelfth Night
- The Tempest
- The Formula (A brand new play)
- 2023
- The Taming of the Shrew
- King Lear
- The Book of Will
- 2024
- Hamlet
- As You Like It
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- The Glass Menagerie (After the summer season)
- A Christmas Carol (Holiday show)
