Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and Play On Shakespeare Launch Landmark Five-Year Partnership

Cleveland, OH; Boise, ID; Incline Village, NV - Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ISF) and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) are proud to announce a major new partnership with Play On Shakespeare, the nonprofit commissioning contemporary modern verse translations of the complete works of William Shakespeare.

This ambitious collaboration marks the launch of a five-year artistic and educational initiative designed to expand access to Shakespeare through bold new translations, innovative productions, and far-reaching community engagement across multiple regions of the United States.

The partnership will launch in 2026 with a new modern verse translation of The Winter’s Tale, written and directed by acclaimed playwright Tracy Young. The production will open at Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise in August 2026 before traveling to Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, where it will help inaugurate the company’s 65th Anniversary Season that fall.

“Our partnership with Play On Shakespeare expands the artistry at the core of our work,” shares Sara Bruner, Producing Artistic Director for GLT, ISF and LTSF. “Shakespeare remains central to who we are, and these translations offer a powerful, immediate way for audiences to connect to these works. We are committed to producing the Bard’s work alongside bold translations and Shakespeare-adjacent pieces that keep the canon in active conversation with the present. This isn't about replacing the classics, but expanding access to them and creating more pathways for audiences to experience the depth and humanity of these stories. This is text-based theater at its most vital—language that moves, connects and reflects our shared humanity in real time.”

Reimagining Shakespeare for Today’s Audiences
Play On Shakespeare has commissioned playwrights from across the country to create contemporary translations of Shakespeare’s plays that preserve the poetry and dramatic structure of the originals while offering language that resonates with modern audiences.

Over the next five years, GLT, ISF and LTSF will collaborate with Play On to bring these translations to life through an ambitious slate of work, including four full productions across five seasons, a newly commissioned world premiere translation of Hamlet and touring/multi-venue performances shared among all three organizations. At least one production will travel to all three partner theatres, creating a uniquely connected Shakespeare experience across the country.

“The partnership between Play On Shakespeare and Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival grew through years of careful, rigorous collaboration — production-based partnerships that spotlighted individual Shakespeare translations,” explains Sally Cade Holmes, Play On Shakespeare’s Head of Partnerships. “This next chapter expands that foundation. We remain committed to production-based work, but we're equally excited to deepen our investment in Shakespeare access and theatrical innovation through multi-year collaborations with values-aligned institutions. Under Sara Bruner's leadership, all three organizations share our dedication to exploring the ever-expanding ecosystem of Shakespeare translation, inviting playwrights into rehearsal rooms and shaping the future of theatrical practice.”

A Partnership Rooted in Community
Beyond the stage, the partnership includes a robust slate of community-centered initiatives designed to deepen engagement with Shakespeare across generations. These programs include Community Schools programming in Boise using shortened Play On translations, support for Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s statewide school touring initiative called Shakespearience beginning in 2027, summer drama school offerings for students running from 2026 through 2030 and seasonal workshops that bring together artists, educators and community members to explore the plays in collaborative and inclusive ways.

Together, these initiatives reflect a shared commitment to making Shakespeare more inclusive and relevant for learners of all ages.

Equity and Artistic Collaboration
A central value of the partnership is a shared commitment to equitable representation in casting and artistic practice. Play On defines this as fostering ensembles that reflect a wide range of lived experiences, including race, gender identity, ability and age, while creating meaningful opportunities for artists and communities that have been historically underrepresented in Shakespearean performance.

Play On Shakespeare will further support the partnership through a dedicated Resident Dramaturg, Dr. Lue M. Douthit, Play On Shakespeare's Senior Dramaturg & Co-Founder. Dr. Douthit will collaborate closely with all three organizations to provide dramaturgical insight, audience engagement content and creative consultation throughout the partnership.

Looking Ahead
With productions, workshops, educational initiatives and new translations on the horizon, this partnership represents a bold new chapter for Shakespeare in the American theatre. One that connects more people to Shakespeare through vibrant, accessible language and ideas.

About Great Lakes Theater
Great Lakes Theater has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of theater to the widest possible audience since 1962. As the first resident company of Playhouse Square, GLT will mark our 45th year in downtown Cleveland next season. On its main stage and through its extensive education programming, Great Lakes Theater impacts the lives of over 80,000 adults and students annually. Great Lakes Theater is part of a unique, strategic producing alliance with Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, read more about the strategic alliance here.

About Play On Shakespeare
We are an artistic partner that funds and supports contemporary modern verse Shakespeare in theatrical practice, productions, and education. Through partnerships with artists and organizations worldwide, we deliver these translations via theatrical productions, workshops and trainings, podcasts, publications, and film. Play On Shakespeare is made possible through the generous support of the Hitz Foundation.