(July 24 – August 26, 2012) The activities of Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC) are centered around a summer festival, lasting from July through August each year. It has been held since 1981 on the campus of the University of California Santa Cruz. Professional actors, directors and designers are brought from around the world to interpret Shakespeare’s work with a modern perspective. SSC is a true repertory company, with a core group of actors each appearing in a number of productions throughout the festival season.

Since 1997 the company has also presented a Winter Holiday season, with original works by playwright Kate Hawley. In the off season, Shakespeare Santa Cruz offers two performance programs (the Fringe, featuring the company’s acting interns, and Shakespeare A Go, a local outreach program) to student actors interested in classical theater, including but not limited to the Shakespeare repertory.