Classic Stage Company

Founded in 1967, Classic Stage Company is the award-winning, Off-Broadway theatre committed to re-imagining the classical repertory for a contemporary American audience. They present plays from the past that speak directly to the issues of today. Recognized as a major force in New York and American theatre, Classic Stage Company has been cited repeatedly by all the major Off-Broadway theatre awards, including the Obie, Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards, as well as the 1999 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, the company aims to fulfill four fundamental institutional goals in all of its programs and activities: explore celebrated classics and neglected works worthy of further exploration; bring together established and emerging artists, ensuring opportunities for them to collaborate and grow; sustain and expand the audience for classical theatre in New York City and the tri-state area; and honor the classical tradition by nurturing new works inspired by the great stories of the past. With these goals in mind, Classic Stage Company produces a full roster of high-quality productions, parallel series, and education and outreach initiatives that make classical theatre accessible to more than 35,000 theatregoers, students, and artists from diverse cultural backgrounds each season.

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, The Young Company Education and Outreach Initiative of Classic Stage Company will present Shakespeare’s darkest tragedy, Macbeth. They anticipate reaching a minimum of 25 schools and approximately 2,750 underserved students throughout New York City’s five boroughs while continuing to expand into Westchester County and New Jersey. Macbeth continues The Young Company’s ongoing exploration of Shakespeare’s works for today’s teens, following on past productions of Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The company will conduct in-school workshops on the themes of the play, culminating in a 90-minute professional production of Macbeth tailored specifically for a teen audience and directed by Tony Speciale. The in-school workshops, taught by the same young actors who appear in the production, will introduce students to the world of Shakespeare; the themes, characters, and language of Macbeth; and voice work, movement, and improvisational techniques utilized by real actors. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a citywide Shakespeare Scene and Monologue Contest at the end of the program.