Play On Shakespeare Teams Up With Three Theatres to Broaden Reach of Modern Adaptations

Idaho Shakespeare Festival's ampitheater. (Photo by Andrew Moore)

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May 15, 2026 American Theatre Editors Leave a comment

Play On Shakespeare Partners With 3 Theatres

A new collaboration with Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival aims to expand engagement with modern adaptations of Shakespeare plays.

By American Theatre Editors

BOISE, ID., CLEVELAND, and INCLINE VILLAGE, N.V.: Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Idaho Shakespeare Festival (ISF) and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) have announced a new partnership with Play On Shakespeare , the nonprofit commissioning contemporary modern verse translations of the complete works of William Shakespeare. This marks the launch of a five-year artistic and educational initiative designed to expand access to Shakespeare through new translations, four productions, and community engagement across multiple regions of the United States, including at least one touring/multi-venue performance shared among all three organizations.

“Our partnership with Play On Shakespeare expands the artistry at the core of our work,” said Sara Bruner, producing artistic director for GLT, ISF and LTSF, in a statement. “These translations offer a powerful, immediate way for audiences to connect to these works. This isn’t about replacing the classics, but expanding access to them and creating more pathways for audiences to experience the depth and humanity of these stories. This is text-based theatre at its most vital—language that moves, connects, and reflects our shared humanity in real time.”

The partnership will launch in 2026 with a new modern verse translation of The Winter’s Tale , written and directed by acclaimed playwright-director Tracy Young. The production will open at Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise in August 2026 before traveling to Great Lakes Theater in Cleveland, where it will help inaugurate the company’s 65th anniversary season that fall. Among the slate of new productions over the next five years is a newly commissioned world premiere translation of Hamlet .

According to Play On Shakespeare’s head of partnerships Sally Cade Holmes, this partnership grew from years of collaboration on productions that spotlighted individual Shakespeare translations, and this next chapter “expands that foundation. We remain committed to production-based work, but we’re equally excited to deepen our investment in Shakespeare access and theatrical innovation through multi-year collaborations with values-aligned institutions,” Cade Holmes said in a statement.

Beyond the stage, the partnership includes a slate of community-centered initiatives designed to deepen engagement with Shakespeare across generations and make Shakespeare more inclusive and relevant for learners of all ages. These include community schools programming in Boise using shortened Play On translations, support for Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s statewide school touring initiative called Shakespearience beginning in 2027, summer drama school offerings for students in 2026-2030, and seasonal workshops for artists, educators, and community members.

A central value of the partnership is a shared commitment to equitable representation in casting and artistic practice. Play On defines this as fostering ensembles that reflect a wide range of lived experiences, including race, gender identity, ability, and age, while creating meaningful opportunities for artists and communities that have been historically underrepresented in Shakespearean performance.

Play On Shakespeare will further support the partnership through a dedicated resident dramaturg, Dr. Lue M. Douthit , who is Play On Shakespeare’s senior dramaturg and co-founder. Dr. Douthit will collaborate closely with all three organizations to provide dramaturgical insight, audience engagement content, and creative consultation throughout the partnership.

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Dr. Lue M. Douthit Great Lakes Theater Idaho Shakespeare Festival Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival Play On Shakespeare Sally Cade Holmes Sara Bruner Shakespeare Showcase

_Originally reported by [American Theatre](https://www.americantheatre.org/2026/05/15/play-on-shakespeare-partners-with-3-theatres/)._