Our Mission
Our Mission is to bring free productions of William Shakespeare's plays to public spaces, casting local youth and adults.
What to Expect at Our Shows
Our shows run every weekend during the month of August at Amazon Community Center. The center is ADA-accessible and located along both the LTD bus line and the Amazon bike path. Parking is available immediately adjacent to the community center.
Seating is first come, first served on the south lawn. We recommend bringing your own camp chair or blanket, as well as a sunhat and a light jacket. No alcohol is permitted in Eugene city parks, but picnics are always welcome!
History
Free Shakespeare in the Park was founded in 1999 by Sharon Selove, who dreamed of bringing Eugene the kind of free, open-air theatrical experience she had grown up with at Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival.
In spring of 1999, Sharon attended a Arts & Community Conference at Amazon Community Center and after sharing her vision for a free Shakespeare program with the rec centers management, we were invited to become community partners with and found our permanent home at Amazon Community Center in Amazon Park. Already equipped with a natural amphitheather and easily accessible by bus, car, bike, or foot, this space suited not only our playing needs but our vision of a theater open to all.
For three months every summer, the community center and south lawn amphitheater transform into our stage and rehearsal room. We now perform for more than 2,000 people each year. Our productions share space with everyone from picknickers to squirrels and take place rain or shine.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Free Shakespeare in the Park
We believe every actor does their best work when they feel respected, seen, and safe. Free Shakespeare in the Park aims to create a welcoming environment for all, both on stage and in the audience. We love working with new actors and crew and believe a diverse company only makes us stronger.
We are honored to play upon the traditional homelands of the Kalapuya, who have inhabited the Willamette Valley for countless generations and continue to care for the land in ways both traditional and modern.