Core Purpose

Inspired by William Shakespeare, who through the rhetoric and poetry of the English language, gave voice to the deepest experience of being human, we are committed to producing professional theater in the community. We produce and support theatrical events that celebrate the human experience. We create a company that is accessible and fully integrated with the Tri-Valley community, and invite the participation of our Central Valley and Greater Bay Area neighbors.

Values Statement

We believe the desire to create and celebrate a rich, vibrant community of individuals who are connected to their own humanity and the humanity of others is a core value shared by residents and businesses of and visitors to the Tri-Valley Area. The arts, particularly theater, connect all of us to our pasts, futures, and most importantly, to the present moment. Theater dramatizes and enhances these connections through the provocative presence of the living actor.

We further believe each of us is strengthened and enriched by the artistic expression of individual and collective experiences. Thus, every person and every community should have the privilege to create or participate in such experiences, and by so doing give voice to a community discourse, one that stirs us to reflect and act upon our deepest held values.

Finally, we believe the arts are a vital part of a healthy, equitable society, one to which people of all ages and backgrounds have a need and a right to belong. Shakespeare’s Associates/ dba Livermore Shakespeare Festival is committed to creating this vibrant community by producing live professional theater for the enrichment of all.

Goals

We will become the Oregon Shakespeare Festival of California, attracting thousands of visitors to the Livermore Valley Wine Country to enjoy the arts, wine and community in the open space culture we who live here cherish, and offering a range of theatrical presentations in multiple theaters.

We will expand to include summer programming in two Vineyards, and offering “school year” performances in Pleasanton’s 240-seat Firehouse Arts Center, producing intimate theatrical experiences that enliven people’s interest in the performing arts.

In addition, we will be performing in Livermore’s 500-Seat theater, creating large professional productions featuring the best of the San Francisco Bay Area’s professional actors and designers.

Our educational programs for both youth and adults will expand each year as we integrate our artist-educators into the recreational life of the community.

The Future

Artists from all over the country will vie for an opportunity to work with us.

Our young people will speak of Shakespeare, language and writing with authority as they have grown up with it as a family friend.

We will inspire others, through our growth and development as a unique organization, to create new arts groups that will explore and innovate in their own art forms and in their structures.