Orlando Shakespeare Theater
 The Orlando Shakespeare Theater, located in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center | |
| Formation | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Location | |
| Website | http://www.orlandoshakes.org/ |
The Orlando Shakespeare Theater is a theater company based in Orlando, Florida that performs the works of William Shakespeare. The company was founded as the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and performed its first productions in 1989. It is based at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Orlando's Loch Haven Park. It 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 put on 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 Children's Series of three productions, a weekend 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.
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 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) center houses the Ken and Trisha Margeson Theater (324 seats), the Marilyn and Sig Goldman Theater (118 seats), The Santos-Dantin Theater (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, an MFA program, and classes taught by Festival artistic staff to UCF students.