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Seattle Shakespeare Company 

Description

Seattle Shakespeare Company is Washington State’s ambassador to William Shakespeare, operating with fiscal responsibility, exquisite artistic quality and broad outreach, bringing classical theatre to people of every age and economic level. Now in its 21st season, Seattle Shakespeare operates with a budget of $1.3 million, a corps of 250 volunteers, a staff of 19, a pool of more than 100 artists, and audiences that span the state.

Mission Statement
Opening doors to classical theatre for people of all ages through intimate, daring productions.
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Seattle Shakespeare Company
Seattle Center House 
Seattle 
WA
98109 
(206) 733-8228 

John Bradshaw 
Managing Director 

Programs

Seattle Shakespeare Company Programs

Indoor Season
The company mounts a 4 play indoor season at Seattle Center’s Center House Theatre and Intiman Playhouse, bringing the region award-winning productions of classics that speak to contemporary audiences. Accessibility programs such as the “Groundlings”, a year-long membership that provides $10 rush tickets, make the indoor season available to most audiences. The past season saw our first entry into a major venue, Intiman Playhouse, with The Threepenny Opera, which was a terrific success financially and artistically. Building on that success, Seattle Shakespeare staged two productions in its 2011-2012 season - A Midsummer Night's Dream and Pygmalion - at the Playhouse.

Wooden O Outdoor Season
Each year the public enjoys Shakespeare at no cost through Wooden O performances in the parks. Two plays are offered throughout the Puget Sound region in professional performances presented with local cities.  Parks' shows meet a high level of artistic quality, garnering 15 Footlight Awards from The Seattle Times and Gregory Award-winning performances. Attendance has doubled since Wooden O’s 2008 merger with Seattle Shakespeare. This summer, Wooden O will be performing Twelfth Night and The Winter's Tale.

Touring Outreach and Education
We boost personal and academic achievement by unlocking the classics for students. Touring spans Washington State, bringing professional productions to communities that lack classics, last year reaching 13,000 people in 30 towns including 55 schools. Education reaches 150 schools annually, along with adults, through workshops, lectures, teacher professional development, student matinees, and camps.

Recent Successes and Current Challenges

Seattle Shakespeare has appointed George Mount as our Artistic Director.  Mr. Mount served as Seattle Shakespeare's Interim Artistic Director and was formerly our Director of Outdoor and Touring Performance.  He was the Founding Director of Wooden O Theatre. At Seattle Shakespeare Company, he directed the critically acclaimed production of The Tempest for the indoor stage.  With Wooden O, he staged Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and several other Shakespeare plays in the parks.  Mr. Mount has appeared on many stages in the Seattle area. Standout roles include Katherine in Seattle Shakespeare Company’s all male version of The Taming of the Shrew and George in Seattle Public Theater’s Of Mice and Men. Mr. Mount holds an MFA in acting/directing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. 

Education, Tour Outreach, and Wooden O all point to our competitive advantage in providing arts that are academically required and culturally valued. Yet they rely on school and municipal budgets that are challenged. We plan to address this through Regional Shakespeare Alliances, geographically-based coalitions of schools, businesses, and philanthropists who plan together to sustain Shakespeare programs in their area. The Washington Women’s Foundation awarded us a three year grant to replicate this model across the state. We will need partners in building these community based coalitions.

Evaluation


Seattle Shakespeare Company (SSC) is the standard bearer for the works of William Shakespeare in Washington State. Each year the company offers 245 stage performances and 126 educational programs that increase access to classical theater to diverse audiences across King County and statewide.

Proven Success
At a time when many local and national theatre organizations are experiencing declining subscription sales, SSC is seeing subscriptions at an all-time high and continuing to trend upward. Single ticket sales for the 2010-2011 season increased 94% from last season and 129% from two years ago.

Collaboration
In 2008, SSC merged with Wooden O Theatre—the region’s largest Shakespeare-in-the-park organization. The merger has resulted in increased attendance for both the indoor and outdoor performances while leveraging Wooden O’s years of outreach to underserved cities and schools. Additionally, they share space and the Center House Theatre with Book-It Repertory Theatre, leveraging cost savings through shared back office materials and staff.

Sustainability
SSC is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. The theatre has experimented successfully with social networking technology and low-cost ticket subscription packages. These innovations, combined with strategic budget cuts and an expanded board focused on attracting multi-year commitments from donors, have helped to solidify Seattle Shakespeare’s reputation as a resilient, well-managed mid-sized theater company in the region.

Grant History with The Seattle Foundation:

Grants Awarded through The Seattle Foundation Grantmaking Program:

DateAmountPurpose
9/10/2011 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/10/2009 $20,000.00support general operating expenses.
12/10/2007 $15,000.00support general operating expenses.
9/16/2004 $10,000.00support general operating expenses.

Financials

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