In response to COVID-19 and out of concern for the health and safety of our patrons the Southwest Shakespeare Company has implemented the following measures. We have gone virtual! We know how important it is to this community that we continue our work and we believe that if we can’t bring people to the theater, we will bring theatre to the people. We are providing daily virtual readings of classical stories and poetry by many of our Associate Artists in Residence. Over the summer we’ve performed weekly reading of Shakespeare’s Classics such as Hamlet, Othello and Romeo & Juliet with artists from around the world. These readings are still streaming on our Facebook page and can be used for educational purposes. Contact [email protected] if interested.
This is a strange and challenging time for the theatre but as Shakespeare and his players survived the plague, so will we survive the Coronavirus.
We are currently virtually rehearsing and recording  The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) for students. We have transformed our performance space into a filming studio with a 3 camera set up with fully equipped studio lights, sets and sound in order to live stream directly to the students and to keep our educational mission alive!
Our Fall Festival that launches in November at the Taliesin West Pavillon will feature extraordinary solo artists from across the country, including Grammy Award Winning Patrick Page and Tony Award Winning Trezana Beverley. Each artist will perform on a designated weekend of November with minimal crew contact and the following measures will be put into effect:

PREVENTIVE MEASURES AND GUIDELINES WE ARE TAKING AGAINST COVID-19 IN OUR PERFORMANCE SPACES :

Every company member and Performing Artist will undergo COVID Testing prior to arrival as well as daily pre-health screenings as well as temperature checks with a contact-less thermometer before entering the building. All attending patrons will also be required to go through a health screening before entering the property, including a contact-less temperature check. Any individual that exhibits more than one of the CDC stipulated symptoms (that are not pre-existing symptoms) will not be permitted on the property. This includes a temperature higher than 100.4. All pre-health screenings and questionnaires will be kept for contact tracing purposes. 

All initial rehearsals and meetings will take place virtually for the first 3 weeks, asking all participants to socially distance and self isolate as much as possible before anyone comes into contact with one another for filming. All company members will be expected to provide truthful and honest answers to the pre-health screening questionnaire and follow the CDC guidelines for safety during the rehearsal process to be cleared for work. 

Frequent hand washing and disinfecting of all work spaces will be mandatory. Soaps, hydro-alcoholic gels and sprays will be made available throughout the studio and provided by Southwest Shakespeare Company. All personnel and visitors are required to utilize appropriate Personal Protective Equipment AT ALL TIMES. If you do not have PPE equipment, it will be provided to you before you enter the premises. PPE equipment includes but not limited to goggles, face shields, and masks that cover both the nose and mouth.

The studio/theater will be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected before, during, and after every work day in accordance with the procedures advised by the CDC. All electronics, props and equipment will be wiped down & sanitized immediately after its use. Adequate ventilation of workplace will be insured with access to open air and fans for air flow. Frequent breaks will be taken to ensure social distancing and cleaning/sanitizing measures to be implemented. Theatrical spaces will have a limited seating and required 6′ of space between parties. Roped off seating will be utilized to ensure proper spacing at the facility.

All communication will be done digitally/virtually or socially distanced at a minimum of 6’ apart from one another. All company members will have a private space to store their things when on site. Each company member will clean and sanitize their space before, during and after each work day. All cleaning material will be provided by Southwest Shakespeare Company. Contact will be at a minimum.

To view the safety protocols from our partners at Taliesin West

Safety Protocols

 

In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck implores the audience: “Give us your hands if we be friends…” And now is the time that we need friends. If you have it within your means to contribute today, it will helps us carry your favorite stories and ours through these dark times.
We are the bearers of the light and if we are fortunate enough to have your support, we promise not to let you down now, when you need us the most.

Mission

Southwest Shakespeare Company opens doors by exploring the impact of language through the vibrant and passionate performance of works of classical theatre. We exist to elevate, entertain, educate, and inspire the general public and educational communities of Arizona and the Southwest.

Vision

SSC’s vision is to be the premier classical theatre company in the Southwest, building a cultural awareness of the classics that impacts the life of every person, for we feel that art should play an active role in every person’s life. A culturally-aware and culturally-knowledgeable community has the best chance to become a caring and humane community, and SSC has a major role to play in making that happen in the Southwest.

Values

We are committed to the art of the classical theatre experience and the many benefits it holds for modern audiences of all ages. Theater presents all aspects of the human experience, from its most aspirational, to its most abject, and can help make sense of an often senseless world.  Our Company strives to present theater and story-telling that speaks to the very nature of our shared humanity, and that can stimulate thought about how to be inclusive rather than exclusive, to help rather than to harm, and to strive for a better world rather than perpetuating injustice.  

Our theater welcomes all, and will continue to present works that challenge us to critically examine our biases, assumptions and judgements.  Our actors primarily live in our community, and they reflect our community in all its many variations.  We hope our long  commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity will speak more profoundly than our words. We can contribute to greater love and understanding in our community and fulfill our mission of education in an inclusive and uplifting way.  

Today and all days Southwest Shakespeare Company stands in solidarity with the Black Community. We acknowledge and embrace our role in standing against systemic racism and denouncing race based prejudice and violence. Black Lives Matter!

Shakespeare wrote that “We are such things as dreams are made on” and Southwest Shakespeare dreams of a community that values all of its members and allows all to live peacefully, love joyfully, create beauty and reach for the stars.

We are committed to providing the highest levels of support to our artists, support personnel, staff members, and volunteers. We treat all of our contributors, volunteers, and members with respect and integrity, knowing that their gifts of time and money are the lifeblood of our organization and a statement of their commitment to us and what we stand for. We believe in the value of the theatre experience and that the experience has the power to transform people’s lives and improve the community. We are committed to playing a leadership role in both the arts community and in the larger community.

Southwest Shakespeare Company’s reputation and good name are of the highest value and nothing anyone associated with the Company does should jeopardize them.