Welcome to Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 10th Anniversary Season!
We are calling this our “Season of Legacy”. This summer, we celebrate not only the history of Santa Cruz Shakespeare, but also the engine of that history as it propels us into the next decade. The past ten years have been a wild ride, but they have served to temper the identity and commitment of SCS to its community and we enter the next chapter of its history with more passion, commitment, and institutional strength than we have ever possessed. Thank you for being a part of the journey.
There are many ways that the plays of our 2023 season speak to each other, but perhaps most powerfully, they are all plays that honor service to something larger than ourselves. In The Book of Will, Lauren Gunderson’s masterpiece, two actors risk everything in service to their friend and fellow artist William Shakespeare. In King Lear, as the bonds of civility shatter, we root desperately for Cordelia, Edgar, and Kent as they sacrifice everything in service of the king and kingdom that have made them outcasts. Even in The Taming of the Shrew, the ultimate moment of the play is an homage to the service and sacrifice that we offer to one another in a true romantic partnership. Whether it is Art, Country, or Family, Shakespeare and Gunderson suggest that we are at our best when we dedicate our lives to something larger than ourselves.
For Mike Ryan, serving as Artistic Director for the past ten years has been the greatest honor of his life. He will be eternally grateful for the opportunity to build community by bringing folks together in empathy and celebration. Being witness to the lesson that “together we are greater than the sum of our parts” has been a gift without price. For Charles Pasternak, the invitation to lead Santa Cruz Shakespeare to even greater heights in its next decade is a profound one. The chance to serve both this community and Shakespeare is a sacred charge and a glorious opportunity that he is proud to accept.
We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Santa Cruz Shakespeare. Everything we have done and will do is in service to you. None of our work matters if you are not here to watch and witness and wonder. Your willingness to come together and share in the human journey with open hearts and minds makes our humble service a joy.
With deep gratitude,
Mike Ryan, outgoing Artistic Director  |
Charles Pasternak, incoming Artistic Director |