Shakespeare Theatre Company

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The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a regional theatre company located in Washington, D.C., that has been called the nation's foremost Shakespeare company[1]. It focuses primarily on plays from the Shakespeare canon, but its seasons include works by other classic playwrights such as Euripides, Henrik Ibsen and Oscar Wilde. It is a member of the League of Resident Theatres.

Artistic Director Michael Kahn took over what was originally The Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger (part of the Folger Shakespeare Library) during the 1986-7 season. Under the name The Shakespeare Theatre, the troupe moved in 1992 to the newly built 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre, its current location, at 450 7th Street NW, Washington, D.C. in the Penn Quarter, with administrative offices and rehearsal studios across town on Capitol Hill. At the start of the 2005-6 season, the present name, Shakespeare Theatre Company, was adopted. It is currently constructing a second nearby theatre named Sidney Harman Hall, scheduled to open in October 2007, which will join the Lansburgh Theatre in becoming the Harman Center for the Arts. The Harman Center, named for philanthropist Sidney Harman, will expand theatrical opportunities not just for the Shakespeare Theatre Company but also for other performance groups as well.

In addition to a troupe of regular and frequently appearing actors, Kahn and Managing Director Nicholas T. Goldsborough bring in acclaimed guest performers and directors each season. The Company also offers a number of educational opportunities, including its Academy for Classical Acting, a one-year Master of Fine Arts graduate program, and school and community programs such as Text Alive! and Students for Shakespeare.

In 1991, the Shakespeare Theatre Company began its annual Free For All productions at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in D.C.'s Rock Creek Park. Each summer the company remounts a production from the previous season at the Amphitheatre. These free performances attract D.C.-area residents of all backgrounds and income levels.

In August 2006, the Shakespeare Theatre Company took its production of Love’s Labor’s Lost to Stratford-upon-Avon in England to participate in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Complete Works Festival. From January to June 30,2007 The Shakespeare Theatre will be co-hosting the International Shakespeare in Washington Festival.

Over the past 20 years, the Shakespeare Theatre Company has won 55 Helen Hayes Awards for acting, directing and technical achievements. The Shakespeare Theatre Company is a not-for-profit organization.