Bring professional, admission-free outdoor theatre to your community
Shakespeare by the Sea (SBTS) partners with cities, parks, schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to present high-quality, admission-free Shakespeare performances in outdoor spaces throughout Southern California.
Hosting SBTS is a simple, high-impact way to create a vibrant community event. We bring a complete, professional production directly to your venue—transforming your park or outdoor space into a lively gathering place filled with families, friends, and neighbors enjoying theatre under the stars.
The SBTS Experience
An SBTS performance is more than a play. It’s a turnkey community event.
Audiences arrive early with blankets, lawn chairs, and picnics. The atmosphere is festive, welcoming, and multi-generational. By curtain time, your space is filled with an engaged audience experiencing a fully produced Shakespeare performance that is free to attend and accessible to all.
For many of our city and community hosts, SBTS becomes a signature annual event.
Click here to view a video of the PBS feature about SBTS
Click here to hear community members speak about the impact of our productions
What We Provide
Shakespeare by the Sea delivers a complete, self-contained theatrical experience:
Production & Personnel
- Professional actors, director, stage manager, and crew
- Fully rehearsed, tour-ready production
- Costumes, props, and dressing room tents
Technical Setup
- Mobile stage and scenic elements
- Lighting
- Professional sound system designed for large audiences
- Fun Fact: Our actors are also our stage crew. They set up the set and lights every night. Click here to see a time lapse video of setting up
- Tents for dressing rooms and SBTS information/merchandise/concessions tents
Audience Experience
- Concessions and merchandise booth
- Raffle operations to support free programming
- Post-show meet-and-greet with the cast
Marketing Support
- Inclusion in SBTS tour brochures and materials
- Promotion through SBTS email newsletters and social media
- Cross-promotion of your organization and event
What Hosts Provide
We strive to make hosting as easy as possible. To successfully present an SBTS performance, host partners provide:
Venue & Site
- Open-air space such as a park, lawn, plaza, or bandshell/amphitheater
- Approximately 25’ x 25’ flat area for stage, props, and dressing tents
- Additional nearby space for concessions and merchandise tents
- Audience space for blankets and lawn chairs
Power Requirements
- Access to six (6) 20-amp electrical circuits
OR - A generator provided by the host
- If using a generator: a spider box with Edison outlets to support the 120 amps of power
Facilities
- Public restrooms for audience and crew
OR - Portable restrooms provided by the host
Access & Logistics
- Truck access to the performance area (or as close as possible)
- Parking for a 16-foot truck and cargo van
- Free, accessible parking for attendees
Permitting & On-Site Support
- All required permits secured and paid for by the host
- On-site staff or representatives during the event
- Basic security and support as needed
Promotion (Critical to Success)
Strong attendance is essential to the success of the event.
We promote through our channels, but the host is responsible for actively marketing the event and bringing the audience. This includes:
- Promoting to your email lists, residents, and community networks
- Listing the event on your website and calendars
- Utilizing social media, flyers, and local partnerships
The most successful events are true partnerships where both SBTS and the host are actively driving attendance.
Host Investment
Shakespeare by the Sea performances are admission-free and made possible through a shared funding model.
The average cost to bring SBTS to a community is approximately $14,808 per performance.
To sustain the tour, we ask host communities to contribute a significant portion of this cost. Many communities meet this through a combination of:
- City or organizational funding
- Local business sponsorships
- Community partnerships
If additional support is needed, we ask hosts to help connect SBTS with local sponsors or funding sources.
SBTS supplements this through:
- Audience donations
- Raffle ticket sales
- Merchandise and concessions
This partnership model allows us to continue offering free, high-quality theatre to the public.
Why Host SBTS
Hosting Shakespeare by the Sea can:
- Activate parks and public spaces
- Create a large-scale, positive community gathering
- Provide high-quality arts programming at no cost to attendees
- Build lasting community tradition and engagement
- Reach diverse, multi-generational audiences
Let’s Start the Conversation
Every community is unique, and we’re happy to work with you to design a partnership that fits your goals, audience, and resources.
Interested in bringing Shakespeare by the Sea to your community? Email the Artistic Directors, Suzanne Dean & Stephanie Coltrin at [email protected]