District Shakespeare

Shakespeare Theatre Company believes that 100% of D.C.’s Public and Public Charter High School students should have access to classic theatre. The arts are integral to the growth of every child, and this access is critical to the well-rounded development of our city’s students. Through District Shakespeare every DCPS and DCPCS high school student has the opportunity to experience the timeless themes and language of Shakespeare and classic theatre in live performance.

Each D.C. Public and Public Charter High School receives, completely free of charge:
  • Tickets to attend a SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinee
  • Buses to transport students to and from the SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinee
  • Pre-show workshops in all participating classrooms to prepare students to see the play
  • Curriculum guides with lesson plans, background information and discussion questions
  • Post-show discussion with the cast of the show immediately following the performance
  • Two professional development workshops that will provide performance based strategies for teaching Shakespeare in the classroom.
  • Tickets to a teacher preview of the show before the student matinee.

District Shakespeare Schools get Ticket Priority until June 1, 2018. Accepting Applications now!

Learn how theatre benefits students.

To learn more about participating in District Shakespeare contact Vanessa Hope, School Programs Manager, at 202.547.3230 ext. 2105 or by email.

Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions about SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinees.

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All matinees are scheduled for 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

The Comedy of Errors

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Alan Paul
October 4, 10, 17, 18, 25, 30, 31 and November 1, 2018
Michael R. Klein Theatre (450 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004)

Professional Development Workshop and Teacher Preview Performance:
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Workshop from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Performance at 7:30 p.m.

An Inspector Calls

By J.B. Priestley
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain
December 12, 2018
Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004)

Teacher Preview Performance:
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Performance at 7:30 p.m.

Richard the Third

By William Shakespeare
Directed by David Muse
February 14, 20, 27 and March 7, 2019
Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004)

Professional Development Workshop and Teacher Preview Performance:
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Workshop from 5:30–6:30 p.m.
Performance at 7:30 p.m.

Vanity Fair

By Kate Hamill
Adapted from the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray
Directed by Jessica Stone
March 13 and 21, 2019
Michael R. Klein Theatre (450 7th St. NW, Washington, DC 20004)

Teacher Preview Performance:
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Performance at 7:30 p.m.

The Oresteia

By Ellen McLaughlin
Adapted from Aeschylus
Directed by Michael Kahn
May 9, 15 and 23, 2019
Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004)

Teacher Preview Performance:
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Performance at 7:30 p.m.
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District Shakespeare Applications are live now! To reserve tickets, please fill out the application form. If you would like to attend more than one production this season, please fill out a separate ticket application for each show.

Apply Now
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2011–2012:

The Shakespeare Theatre Company begins the District Shakespeare initiative. Education staff focuses on building relationships with each D.C. Public School serving grades 8-12, bringing a dynamic, one-hour workshop to one classroom in each school, free of charge.

2012–2013:

STC welcomes D.C. Public Schools serving 8-12 grades to the theatres, providing 50 free tickets and free buses to a SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinee. 42 of the 53 public schools attend, bringing approximately 2,000 DCPS students through the doors of STC theatres – many for the very first time. The students participate in a pre-performance classroom workshop, enjoy performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Coriolanus or The Winter’s Tale and engage in a post-show discussion with the actors in each production. In addition, STC Education launches free workshops for D.C. Public Charter Schools serving grades 8-12, reaching 45 charter schools across the District.

2013–2014:

Shakespeare Theatre Company multiplies its number of SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinees in order to welcome a full grade from every DCPS high school. 18 high schools attended one of the following productions: Measure for Measure, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Importance of Being Earnest, Henry IV Part 1 or Part 2, totaling nearly 2,500 DCPS students. STC also offers 50 free tickets and buses to D.C. Public Charter Schools serving grades 8-12. Fifteen charter schools attend matinees, reaching an additional 840 students.

2014–2015:

Shakespeare Theatre Company invites a full grade from every DCPS High School and every D.C. Public Charter High School to participate in the SHAKESPEARIENCE Student Matinee. 2,840 students from 28 high schools receive free tickets, workshops, and transportation to performances of As You Like It, The Tempest, Man of La Mancha, The Winter’s Tale, Dunsinane, and The Metromaniacs.

2015–2016:

STC Education continues to fortify relationships with D.C. Public and Public Charter high schools, offering the District Shakespeare benefits to a full grade at every high school. This year, students attend A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kiss Me, Kate, The Critic & The Real Inspector Hound, Othello and 1984.
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Program Sponsors:

Leadership Support:
  • DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts
  • Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
  • Shakespeare in American Communities
Additional Support:
  • Marshall B. Coyne Foundation