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Donate"In the 1950s and early 1960s, two theater trends were converging. One of those trends was a rising interest in Shakespeare...The second trend was the desire to produce high quality, non-commercial theater, especially classical theater, and especially beyond the boundaries of the Broadway district in New York." - Margaret Lynch, The Fifty-Year History of Great Lakes Theater.
Great Lakes Theater (then known as, Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival) was born during this convergence. Our highlighted genre this week launched Great Lakes Theater with seasons full of Shakespearean shows that formed our mission and established our place within the theatrical community.
In our current season structure, we have two dedicated spots where we explore the many works of Shakespeare. Check out these production photos representing this genre from over the past six decades!
Twelfth Night - 1966
Troilus & Cressida - 1969
Henry IV, Part I - 1971
Othello - 1979
The Merry Wives of Windsor - 1983
Love's Labour's Lost - 1988
A Midsummer Night's Dream - 1994
Richard III - 1998
Romeo & Juliet - 2001
Macbeth - 2008
Much Ado About Nothing - 2013
Julius Caesar - 2019
Top Titles
Some titles of The Bard's have appeared many times on Great Lakes Theater's stage. The Taming of the Shrew leads with eight productions and As You Like It, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night are next in line with seven productions each throughout our history!
The Taming of the Shrew
(pics l-r 1971, 1984, 1993, 2011 & 2019)
As You Like It
(pic 2014)
Hamlet
(pic 1989)
A Midsummer Night's Dream
(pic 2017)
Twelfth Night
(pic 1985)
Tom Hanks
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
1978
Hal Holbrook
King Lear
1990
Delroy Lindo
Othello
1993
The Comedy of Errors - 2009
A Midsummer Night's Dream - 2010
Othello - 2010
The Taming of the Shrew - 2011
The Merry Wives of Windsor - 2014
Love's Labour's Lost - 2016
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