Shakespeare Santa Cruz engaged with communities of all sizes--from the university setting, to the city of Santa Cruz and surrounding counties (especially through local schools), and even into the larger Shakespeare festival circuit nationally and globally. Though committed to uniquely combining scholarship and performance, SSC actively brought the Bard to the public. “Shakespeare to Go” performed abridged plays at local junior high and high schools, and directors and cast members often held public lectures to help elucidate the text or discuss difficult themes (see the 1994 discussion on anti-semitism and The Merchant of Venice for some lively debate). Beyond Santa Cruz, the company maintained a larger national and global reach by including Actors Equity Association actors and by fostering a longstanding relationship with performers from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).