About
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival is a nonprofit theatre company located in the Bay Area, California. We present our Annual Free Shakespeare in the Park in 5 parks across the bay, a touring educational production throughout California, and various education programs including Bay Area Shakespeare Camps and our Saturday Upstart Crows.
Mission Statement
We believe that Shakespeare experienced in a communal setting - whether it be outdoors, in a classroom or in a theater - elates the soul, inspires the mind and unifies those who sit beside each other. For the majority of our audiences, we are the first point of contact with Shakespeare and the performing arts. Our programming represents the plays in their finest light, demonstrates their relevance to today's society, and inspires our students and audiences to seek out additional theatrical experiences. By lowering practical and perceptual barriers, the Festival encourages broad participation in the arts and makes these artistic activities an active part of community life.
The Festival plays a vital role in the Bay Area arts community, serving as a catalyst for audience development by reaching thousands of people who otherwise do not attend live theater or may have never experienced it at all. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival is dedicated to arts education, using its programs to foster a life-long appreciation of learning and the arts.
The Festival is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to make the words and themes of Shakespeare accessible to everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, financial status or level of education.
Ways that San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has already practiced “green” theatre
We have a robust recycling/composting program in each of our venues. We don’t serve single-use snacks and drinks at concessions but have a refill station for water bottles. We reuse and recycle our scenery, props, and costumes constantly - very few items are created new from scratch. By performing in parks, we highlight the natural world and remind folks of the value of parks and outdoor open spaces.
Ways that San Francisco Shakespeare Festival has already used their productions to highlight local or global ecological issues
We haven’t really highlighted eco issues in our shows yet, but our summer production of King Lear this year was chosen for that reason among others.
What are San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's eco-theatrical goals and aspirations for the future? What do they want to work on and achieve? What kind of help and advice would be useful to them?
The current crisis has highlighted ways that virtual meetings and other online programs can cut down on carbon emissions. We will most likely adopt some of these practices in the future. We believe we will need to directly address changes in climate through our performance schedule - adapting to warmer temperatures and wildfires.
Visit San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's official website here
