Georgia Shakespeare

Georgia Shakespeare (formerly "Georgia Shakespeare Festival") is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company located in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States on the campus of Oglethorpe University. Georgia Shakespeare produces plays annually, primarily between June and November. Each year, they welcome 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" and "King Lear" 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 of 300. The theatre changed tents for its second season and was housed in a cicular tent with a 90' diameter. This new tent increased the seating capacity by 50. For the theatre's fith 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" as its first work not written by William Shakespeare. Later years have seen them perform between three and seven plays per season

In 1997, Georgia Shakespeare opened its season in the $5.7 million dollar John A. and Hiriam H. Conan Performing Center with "The Tempest". The Conan Center has a 509-seat modified thrust stage and it was with the move to this new facility 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 Lear1987
* Much Ado
* Romeo & Juliet1988
*Midsummer
*Winter's Tale1989
*Twelfth Night
*Comedy of Errors1990
*Macbeth
*As You Like It1991
*Three Musketeers
*Richard III
*Two Gentlemen of Verona1992
*Love's Labour's Lost
*The Tempest
*Hamlet: Godfather of Brooklyn1993
*Cyrano de Bergerac
*SHREW: The Musical
*Henry V1994
*A Midsummer Night's Dream
*Merchant of Venice
*Imaginary Invalid1995
*Much Ado
*Country Wife
*Booth, Brother Booth
*King Lear1996
*Twelfth Night: a new musical
*The Bourgeois Gentleman
*Troilus and Cressida
*Booth, Brother Booth1997
*The Tempest
*The School for Scandal
*Othello1998
*Henry IV, Part I
*The Miser
*Measure for Measure
*Macbeth1999
*Hamlet
*The Comedy of Errors
*St. Joan
*Romeo & Juliet
*Shrew: The Holiday Musical2000
*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 (Fletcher2003
* Much Ado About Nothing
* The School for Wives
* The Tale of Cymbeline
* The Tempest2004
* 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" traning 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 picnics for before the show. It became a tradition and a fun social event. So when the Conant Center was built, an area was set aside for picknicing with tables and chairs and a covered area. 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, Development Director
*Amanda Hughes, Marketing Director
*Sarah Robinson, Development Officer
*Brooke Collins, Company Manager/Education Associatee
*Keri Atkins, Staff Accountant
*Heidi Blackwell, Box Office Manager
*Charles Swint, Sales Manager
*Katy Munroe, Costume Shop Manager
*Mari Arguellas, 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
*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 Kugne
*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

External links

* [http://www.gashakespeare.org/ Official site]