The Acting Company

Founded forty years ago by John Houseman and Margot Harley, The Acting Company prides itself on delivering the highest quality, text-driven productions to underserved audiences while concurrently engaging students—from kindergarten, in conjunction with Columbia University Teachers College, through university level students—with the words of Shakespeare with their in-class workshops and residencies, fostering both an appreciation for Shakespeare and the art and craft of theater for a lifetime.  The Acting Company has long been recognized for developing young American classical actors for the stage and other mediums. Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Rainn Wilson, David Ogden Stiers, David Schramm, Frances Conroy, Jesse L. Martin, Jeffrey Wright, Harriet Harris, Hamish Linklater, Tom Hewitt, and Keith David are but a few of today’s stars of stage and screen who began as members of the company. Honored with a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater, The Acting Company promotes theater and literacy by bringing a touring repertory of classical productions that includes talented young actors and teaching artists into communities across America, particularly to those where live performance and arts education is limited or non-existent. The Acting Company’s sustained excellence in theater and arts education has been honored with a Tony, Obies, Audelcos and other awards spanning over 39 years. It has produced and presented 137 classical works, including 43 full-text presentations of Shakespeare, to 48 states across America and in ten foreign countries.

As part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, The Acting Company will present an abridged version of As You Like It directed by Dan Rothenberg. It will be a mainstage production in approximately 35 cities in 30 states. In addition, The Acting Company will offer student matinees to middle- and high-school students who will participate in educational workshops such as "Acting Clues in Shakespeare" and "The As You Like It Page-to-Stage." The company will offer full-length performances for students in 60% of tour cities followed by a question-and-answer session with the actors and staff repertory director; Learning Through Theater artistic residencies in a minimum of 15 communities; teacher resource guides to all participating schools (also available for free online); workshops for teachers to more effectively teach Shakespeare and the classics; and master classes in text analysis, stage combat and how a play is produced, conducted by professional actors.