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, it welcomes 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 circular tent with a 90' diameter. This new tent increased the seating capacity by 50. For the theatre's fifth 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. In later years, the company has performed between three and seven plays per season.

In 1997, Georgia Shakespeare opened its season in the $5.7 million dollar John A. and Miriam H. Conant Performing Center with The Tempest. The Conant Center has a 509-seat modified thrust stage and it was this move 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 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003) 2004
 * The Taming of the Shrew
 * King Lear
 * Much Ado
 * Romeo & Juliet
 * Midsummer
 * Winter's Tale
 * Twelfth Night
 * Comedy of Errors
 * Macbeth
 * As You Like It
 * Three Musketeers
 * Richard III
 * Two Gentlemen of Verona
 * Love's Labour's Lost
 * The Tempest
 * Hamlet: Godfather of Brooklyn
 * Cyrano de Bergerac
 * SHREW: The Musical
 * Henry V
 * A Midsummer Night's Dream
 * Merchant of Venice
 * Imaginary Invalid
 * Much Ado
 * Country Wife
 * Booth, Brother Booth
 * King Lear
 * Twelfth Night: a new musical
 * The Bourgeois Gentleman
 * Troilus and Cressida
 * Booth, Brother Booth
 * The Tempest
 * The School for Scandal
 * Othello
 * Henry IV, Part I
 * The Miser
 * Measure for Measure
 * Macbeth
 * Hamlet
 * The Comedy of Errors
 * St. Joan
 * Romeo & Juliet
 * Shrew: The Holiday Musical
 * 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)
 * 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)
 * 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 (Fletcher
 * Much Ado About Nothing
 * The School for Wives
 * The Tale of Cymbeline
 * The Tempest
 * 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" training 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 pre-show picnics. This became a tradition and when the Conant Center was built, a covered area with tables and chairs was set aside for picnics. 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, Marketing & Development Director
 * Heidi Blackwell, Marketing Manager
 * Sarah Robinson, Development Manager
 * Brooke Collins, Company Manager/Education Associatee
 * Keri Atkins, Staff Accountant
 * Donna Weber, Box Office Manager
 * Katie McCrary, Education Coordinator
 * Megan Kier, Technical Director
 * Katie McCreary, Production Coordinator
 * Katy Munroe, Costume Shop Manager
 * Mari Arguelles, 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
 * Rob Cleveland
 * 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 Kuhne
 * 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