The Orlando began its first season with two Shakespearean productions in 1989. Based in Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

in Orlando's Loch Haven Park, Orlando Shakes has performed 41 mainstage productions of Shakespeare's works. The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays and playwrights' series of adaptations of classics and new works has produced world premiere productions of Robinson Crusoe, Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker, Poe, Deep into that Darkness Peering, Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus, The Island of Dr. Moreau, A Christmas Carol in Five Parts, Trapezium, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, as well as the Florida Premieres of Around the World in 80 Days and Crime and Punishment.

Programs

The current season includes a Subscription Series of six productions with a cast of AEA professional actors from around the country, a Theater for Young Audiences Series of three productions, a 10 Day festival of new plays - The Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, one summer Shakespeare production performed by local high school students in The Young Company program, summer camps for children, community and professional classes, and extensive teaching in K-12 schools. With a full-time administrative staff and a company of professional directors, designers, assistants, interns, and production staff, the theater is growing quickly.

Facilities

The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (home to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater) is located in Orlando-Loch Haven Park, the cultural campus that also hosts the Orlando Museum of Art, the Orlando Science Center, the Mennello Museum, and the Orlando Repertory Theatre. Convenient to downtown Orlando and I-4, the 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²) center houses the Ken and Trisha Margeson Theater (324 seats), the Marilyn and Sig Goldman Theater (118 seats), Studio B (70 seats), Mandell Studio Theater (99 seats), the Dr. Phillips Patrons Room, gift shop, catering kitchen, scenic, costume and prop shops, administrative offices, and the outdoor Darden Courtyard.

Partnerships

The Orlando Shakespeare Theater has a professional partnership with the University of Central Florida which includes a growing internship and MFA program, classes taught by Festival artistic staff to UCF undergraduate students as well as senior UCF faculty members performing and designing on our professional stages. The theater provides many young students with their first professional credits, and hires many UCF alumni later in their careers.