Founded in 1996, The Shakespeare Project of Chicago was created to achieve three main goals:

    • To bring to life the words of William Shakespeare and the world’s other great dramatists.

    • To foster the talents of members of Actors’ Equity Association, the professional union of actors and stage managers.

    • To present these text-based works to members of our community for free, or at very affordable rates.

For the past 14 years we have strived to attain our mission, having produced over 80 classic plays (every one of Shakespeare’s plays at least once), culling the pool of the state’s most talented and experienced actors, and inviting everyone to experience these plays for no admission charge.  Utilizing the talents of Equity actors with credits ranging from Broadway, off-Broadway, regional houses, pre-eminent Shakespeare festivals and the major Illinois houses, we make these passionately performed classics available to all, without regard to income, race, age or any other demographic.  We consistency choose challenging classic material that requires actors to access both their emotions and their technique – resulting in productions rich in both passion and clarity.