Community Knowledge

Shakespeare Santa Cruz was committed to bringing the experience of Shakespeare to the local Santa Cruz and neighboring communities. The Company of Little Eyases (named after the children’s acting troupe mentioned in Hamlet) was a chance for young local actors, aged eight to fifteen, to perform hour-long renditions of Shakespearean works for other kids, free and open to the public. "Shakespeare to Go" was a full-fledged outreach program started by Shakespeare Santa Cruz in 1988, and in collaboration with the UCSC Theater Arts Department, UCSC students put on a 50-minute version of a play from the upcoming summer festival season. In addition to introducing thousands of junior and high school students to Shakespeare each year through this program, the company staged signed performances of plays (like The Tempest, in 1984), held lectures and discussions, ran a children’s festival, among a host of other festive and educational community events.

Royal Shakespeare Company actors visit UC Santa Cruz: Patrick Stewart with students

Shakespeare in the schools: unidentified Shakespeare Santa Cruz actors at Mission Hill Junior High School

Students watch a Shakespeare-to-Go production (1985)

Outreach letter to Deaf community for signed performance of The Tempest, 1984

Invitation from SSC to attend a signed performance of the Tempest; the letter also invites deepening engagement with the local deaf community (1984)

Weekend with Shakespeare 1984 letter to teachers

Audrey Stanley (SSC) and Tony Church (Royal Shakespeare Company) invite teachers to attend a three day "Weekend with Shakespeare" conference at UCSC (1984)

Weekend with Shakespeare feedback from teachers 1984

Feedback on the weekend's performances from "Weekend with Shakespeare" conference participants (1984)

Local business ads (Kelly's Bakery and the Bagelry) in festival programs

Local businesses lent their support for SSC by taking out ads in the festival programs-- some were quite creative!

Educational programming from the 1986 festival season

Shakespeare and Theromans Lecture/Discussion Series schedule in 1988 festival program

Educational programming from the 1988 festival season

program excerpt, educational programs, Little Eyases

Educational programming from the 1990 season (as with prior years, SSC's community engagement included research activities, pre-show presentations, behind-the-scenes programming, summer theater classes, internship programs, the Company of Little Eyases, and more)

The Pedagogy and Performance Forum is an example of SSC and Audrey Stanley's (professor and artistic director) participation in the broader educational discourse bridging pedagogy and performance (1997)

Merchant of Venice Public Discussion at Santa Cruz Public Library

Audio recordings of the discussion held at the Santa Cruz Public Library, concerning the Merchant of Venice production, between artistic director Danny Scheie and Rabbi Litvak (1994)