Georgia Shakespeare is a professional, not-for-profit theatre

Theatre

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...

 company located in Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 on the campus of Oglethorpe University

Oglethorpe University

Oglethorpe University is a private liberal arts college in Brookhaven, Georgia, an inner suburb of Atlanta. It was chartered in 1835 and named after James Edward Oglethorpe, the state's founder.-History:...

. Georgia Shakespeare produces plays annually, primarily between June and November. Each year, it welcomes 60,000 patrons to its performances.

History

Georgia Shakespeare was founded in 1985 by Lane Anderson, Richard Garner and Robert Watson under the name Georgia Shakespeare Festival. The company produced two plays each year, with its first offering being productions of The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...

and King Lear

King Lear

King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...

in rotating repertory starting July 10, 1986.

The rising theatre company went through several locations in its first years. Its first season was on the Oglethorpe University front athletic field in a rectangular, white 60' X 90' tent with a seating capacity

Seating capacity

Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

 of 300. The theatre changed tents for its second season and was housed in a circular tent with a 90' diameter. This new tent increased the seating capacity

Seating capacity

Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...

 by 50. For the theatre's fifth season, it moved into a 110' diameter circular tent that seated 400.

In 1991, Georgia Shakespeare expanded to three plays annually, and performed an adaptation of The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...

as its first work not written by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...

. In later years, the company has performed between three and seven plays per season.

In 1997, Georgia Shakespeare opened its season in the $5.7 million dollar John A. and Miriam H. Conant Performing Center with The Tempest

The Tempest

The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...

. The Conant Center has a 509-seat modified thrust stage and it was this move that allowed the addition of a fall performance to the season schedule.

In 2001, Georgia Shakespeare became a member of the League of Resident Theaters. It is one of only two theatres in the state to be a part of this league.

Listing of past productions

1986

• The Taming of the Shrew
• King Lear

1987

• Much Ado
• Romeo & Juliet

1988

• Midsummer
• Winter's Tale

1989

• Twelfth Night
• Comedy of Errors

1990

• Macbeth
• As You Like It

1991

• Three Musketeers
• Richard III
• Two Gentlemen of Verona

1992

• Love's Labour's Lost
• The Tempest
• Hamlet: Godfather of Brooklyn

1993

• Cyrano de Bergerac
• SHREW: The Musical
• Henry V

1994

• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Merchant of Venice
• Imaginary Invalid

1995

• Much Ado
• Country Wife
• Booth, Brother Booth
• King Lear

1996

• Twelfth Night: a new musical
• The Bourgeois Gentleman
• Troilus and Cressida
• Booth, Brother Booth

1997

• The Tempest
• The School for Scandal
• Othello

1998

• Henry IV, Part I
• The Miser
• Measure for Measure
• Macbeth

1999

• Hamlet
• The Comedy of Errors
• St. Joan
• Romeo & Juliet
• Shrew: The Holiday Musical

2000

• Twelfth Night
• Tartuffe
• Richard II
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Readings: Epicoene (Ben Jonson), The Changeling (Thomas Middleton/William Rowley), The History of King Lear (Nathum Tate)

2001

• Amadeus
• As You Like It
• The Winter's Tale
• Julius Caesar
• Readings: The Inland Sea (Naomi Wallace), Thyestes (Seneca), Mandragola (Machiavelli), A Mad World My Masters (Thomas Middleton), The Revenger's Tragedy (Thomas Middleton), The Widow (Thomas Middleton)

2002

• The Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Death of a Salesman
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• The Taming of the Shrew
• The Gospel of John
• Booth, Brother Booth
• Readings: The Tamer Tamed (Fletcher

2003)

• Much Ado About Nothing
• The School for Wives
• The Tale of Cymbeline
• The Tempest

2004

• Shake at the Lake: A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Cyrano de Bergerac
• What the Butler Saw
• Coriolanus
• Macbeth

Education programs

Twelve educational programs were developed in the history of Georgia Shakespeare. These programs include "The High School Tour", a "High School Acting Competition", "Camp Shakespeare", a "High School Conservatory", a "No Fear Shakespeare" training program for educators, after school residencies, school tours, student matinees, classes for professionals and in-school workshops.

Picnicing

When Georgia Shakespeare was still performing under a tent, patrons of the theatre started bringing pre-show picnics. This became a tradition and when the Conant Center was built, a covered area with tables and chairs was set aside for picnics. Picnic grounds open ninety minutes prior to curtain.

Current leadership and staff

• Richard Garner, Producing Artistic Director
• Tim Conley, General Director
• Allen O'Reilly, Education Director
• Stacey Colosa Lucas, Marketing & Development Director
• Heidi Blackwell, Marketing Manager
• Sarah Robinson, Development Manager
• Brooke Collins, Company Manager/Education Associatee
• Keri Atkins, Staff Accountant
• Donna Weber, Box Office Manager
• Katie McCrary, Education Coordinator
• Megan Kier, Technical Director
• Katie McCreary, Production Coordinator
• Katy Munroe, Costume Shop Manager
• Mari Arguelles, Development Associate

Current associate artists

Georgia Shakespeare has a core group of artists who have been with them between six and twenty years and help define the theatre's identity. Currently, these artists are:

• Hudson Adams
• Janice Akers
• Rochelle Barker
• John Briggs
• Charlie Caldwell
• Elisa Carlson
• Rob Cleveland
• Kat Conley
• Tim Conley
• Carolyn Cook
• Jonathan Davis
• Chris Ensweiler
• Sabin Epstein
• Bruce Evers
• Drew Fracher
• Chris Kayser
• Klimchak
• Joe Knezevich
• Douglas Koertge
• Park Krausen
• Margo Kuhne
• Liz Lee
• Daniel Thomas May
• Karen S. Martin
• Tim McDonough
• T.S. Morgan
• Kathryn Munroe
• Allen O'Reilly
• Saxon Palmer
• Courtney Patterson
• Karen Robinson
• Brad Sherrill
• Christine Turbitt
• Vince Tortorici