We are thrilled to announce that Santa Cruz Shakespeare will be back to live, in-person performances this Summer! Tickets are on sale now! Capacity will be limited, and safety measures will be in place to ensure a fun time for everyone.

Plays in the year’s season:

RII:
Text by William Shakespeare
Conceived and Adapted by Jessica Kubzansky.
July-August 2021
Live at The Grove (Streaming Option Available)
The story that sets the Wars of the Roses in motion, Jessica Kubzansky’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II tells the story of that king’s ill-fated reign using only three actors. What is our responsibility when a bad leader rightfully occupies the throne? This exploration of divine right, capricious leadership, and bloody insurrection is packed with contemporary political relevance. A critic’s choice pick when it premiered at the Boston Court theatre in Los Angeles, Charles McNulty, critic for the LA Times, called the play a “feat of ingenious stagecraft.”

The Agitators:
By Mat Smart
July-August 2021
Live at The Grove (Streaming Option Available)

This play, by Mat Smart, tells the story of Fredrick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. Over the forty-five volatile years that they knew one another, they were friends, allies, and adversaries. Their hopes and dreams for equality brought them to common ground and political battlefields. As agitators, they were not content to let either our nation or each other rest in complacency, and their respective fights for racial justice and gender equity continue to this day.

The Humanities Institute is a proud sponsor of the 2021 Santa Cruz Shakespeare Season.