Santa Cruz Shakespeare is going bigger than ever in 2027, with eight productions stretching from spring through winter, including a record four-show summer season. But at a warm gathering in the Audrey Stanley Grove on Monday night, the company also looked back, surprising former artistic director Mike Ryan by naming the Grove stage in his honor.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The applause isn’t over yet: Your fall/winter theater guide
Summer theater might be winding down, but the curtain isn’t closing anytime soon. Santa Cruz County’s stages are packed with comedies, dramas, musicals, opera, holiday favorites and a few surprises, giving audiences more reasons than ever to head to the theater.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The stories we inherit: SC Shakespeare builds a remarkable ‘Fences’
August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece “Fences” receives a powerfully acted and deeply moving production from Santa Cruz Shakespeare, led by a remarkable Derrick Lee Weeden and an outstanding ensemble.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The price of power: Santa Cruz Shakespeare delivers a spellbinding ‘Macbeth’
Paul Mullins masterfully directs Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, pairing exceptional performances with vivid stagecraft and making Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” a must-see centerpiece of the summer season.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Much Ado About Everything Right’: SC Shakespeare’s perfect summer comedy
Filled with infectious comedy, colorful design, inspired music and superb performances, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” is a joyful season opener, Jana Marcus writes, that proves Shakespeare can still leave audiences laughing four centuries later.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The stage is set for a big Santa Cruz summer theater season
Shakespeare in the redwoods. “Rocky Horror” downtown. Opera at a brewery. Santa Cruz theater companies are throwing everything they’ve got at audiences this season – and the result is one of the most ambitious local lineups in years.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
In Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s brilliant ‘Master Harold,’ superb performances deliver devastating truths
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “‘Master Harold’ … and the Boys” is both intimate and explosive. What begins with dancing and banter unravels into a devastating portrait of racism, betrayal and moral choice. With five-star performances, this is a must-see.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz Shakespeare set to expand again, with six full productions slated for 2026
Santa Cruz Shakespeare announced Monday that it will expand its season in 2026, presenting six full productions, including a second show in the fall.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ‘Pericles’ navigates love, loss and redemption
Pirates, princesses, brothels and shipwrecks — “Pericles” has all the drama of a soap opera with the poetry of Shakespeare, and Santa Cruz Shakespeare gives this wild ride heart and humor. Think “Shakespearean road trip” with emotional payoff and a superb cast.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Photo essay: Behind the curtain at Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’
Lookout photojournalist Kevin Painchaud captured the cast of Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ production as the actors prepared for opening night.
