This collection documents the history of the professional theatre repertory company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, which was established on the UC Santa Cruz campus in 1981 and ended in 2013. The collection contains production files for nearly every show produced by the organization, including the summer festival shows, the holiday shows, and the "Shakespeare to Go" educational outreach performances at local schools. Administrative files include planning and financial documentation, correspondence, and reports from the Managing Director and the Board of Directors, as well as key historical documents from the early administration of the organization. Publicity clippings, grant applications, fundraising, and marketing materials document the non-profit organization's significant focus on fundraising. The organization's commitment to community engagement is shown in the Education & Outreach series, which includes curriculum planning documents, scripts, and photographs from the Shakespeare to Go program, as well as materials from various other outreach events. The Media series contains audiovisual materials and digital files. The audiovisual materials include production recordings, some soundtracks, and some audio cues used in performances and rehearsals; production videos; and recordings of interviews with Shakespeare Santa Cruz staff and company. Digital files include photographs of productions and staff, stage manangement files, and some administrative and marketing files.

Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC) was a professional repertory theater company based in and supported by UC Santa Cruz (UCSC). The non-profit theater company produced an annual summer festival that was started by Audrey Stanley and Karen Sinsheimer in 1981 and ran until 2013. SSC was known for serving the local Santa Cruz community, from incorporating local child actors into productions to its noted "Shakespeare to Go" high school outreach program. Each production was staged on the campus of UCSC, often in the wooded Audrey Stanley and Karen Sinsheimer Festival Glen, which Artistic Director Paul Whitworth described as "an eccentric fusion of Shakespeare's Globe, Chartres Cathedral, and Middle Earth." Yet, the company maintained a larger national and global reach by including Actors Equity Association actors and by fostering a longstanding relationship with performers from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Like RSC, Shakespeare Santa Cruz committed itself to studying the theory and practice of contemporary Shakespeare performance, inviting scholars into the production process and providing UCSC students with a window into the acting profession. In 2013, after UCSC was no longer able to provide financial support to the company, Shakespeare Santa Cruz disbanded. In 2014, Santa Cruz Shakespeare was formed as an independent non-profit organization that continues the tradition of summer theater festivals in the local community.

127.5 Linear Feet (84 boxes, 9 flat boxes, 4 roll boxes, and 3 flat file folders)

Copyright for portions of this collection resides with the Regents of the University of California. The publication or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. UCSC Special Collections and Archives can grant permission to publish materials to which it holds the copyright. For permission to reproduce or publish the material, or to order a reproduction, please visit guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/reproduction-publication.

Collection is open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media. Digital files are available in the UCSC Special Collections and Archives reading room. Some files require reformatting before they can be accessed. Technical limitations may hinder the Library's ability to provide access to some digital files. Access to digital files on original carriers is prohibited; users must request to view access copies. Contact Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to digital files.