Our Mission

Engagement and Education puts STC’s mission into action, producing a variety of school, community, training, and audience programming to create and preserve classic theatre and to connect the universality of classic works to our shared human experience in the modern world.

Our Vision

To welcome learners of all ages, backgrounds, and means, and share the art of theatre with all levels of experience, novice to professional.

To illuminate the relevance of classic theatre in the modern world and spark conversation about its stories, characters, and themes.

To activate Shakespeare in the classroom and in the community through a performance-focused curriculum.

To inspire, encourage, and educate the next generation of theatre artists, administrators, and audiences.

Values and focus of education programs

Create theatre and tell stories through performance.

Debate issues and discover outlooks different from our own.

Connect to classic works from a modern perspective.

Master skills in performance, language, communication, and creativity.

Encounter the magic of live performance and the process of theatre-making.

Collaborate on common goals or ideas and build community.

Appreciate and understand the value of the arts in every life.

Build confidence in the power of their voice, imagination, and artistic ability.

STC Academy

STC Academy (formerly The Academy for Classical Acting) is an unprecedented collaboration between two leading D.C. institutions. Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) brings to the partnership world-class artists and teachers, a comprehensive training program, and a distinguished reputation as a nationally and internationally recognized leader in classical repertory, under the guidance of Artistic Director Simon Godwin. The George Washington University brings to the partnership its resources and reputation as a major research university, with strong links to the Folger Shakespeare Library and the Library of Congress, as well as shared faculty and space resources.

STC Academy is one of the only Masters of Fine Arts programs in the United States dedicated solely to classical acting. Students are in class full-time, 40 hours or more a week, for about 44 weeks. Since 2000, STC Academy has graduated between 12 and 18 students each year who are helping transform the way classical theatre is performed on Broadway, in regional theatres, and on teaching faculties around the country.