On June 11, 2012, Chicago's civic and business leaders came together to celebrate Chicago Shakespeare Theater's successful 25th Anniversary Season. The second annual "Spirit of Shakespeare Awards" were presented, honoring those who keep the spirit of Shakespeare alive through community service and artistic leadership. This year's Civic Honoree was Frederick H. Waddell, Chairman and CEO of Northern Trust, a committed leader in supporting programs for students; and the Artistic Honoree was leading classical actor and Tony Award recipient Brian Bedford. The evening was a tremendous success, raising nearly $1 million to support the Theater's education and civic engagement programs and to ensure the spirit of Shakespeare is alive on Navy Pier, in the community and around the world.View photos

On April 23, 2012, prior to a special performance of Simon Callow's Being Shakespeare, a special birthday reception in honor of William Shakespeare was held in the lobby of the Broadway Playhouse for the Theater's donors. View photos

On April 18, 2012, following the opening performance of Simon Callow's Being Shakespeare, Mr. Callow celebrated with an enthusiastic crowd of friends, supporters and special guests in the Signature Room of the John Hancock Center. View photos

On Tuesday, March 27, 2012, donors and friends of the theater gathered for an intimate conversation with Timon of Athens director, Barbara Gaines, and Actor Ian McDiarmid, who is playing the title role. View photos

On Saturday, March 24, 2012, Chicago Shakespeare Theater presented a special performance of Short Shakespeare! The Taming of the Shrew at Benito Juarez Community Academy Performing Arts Center in the Pilsen neighborhood. The 75-minute abridged production of Shakespeare's lively battle of the sexes was presented in English with projected Spanish translation, and featured a prologue by leading members of the area. This presentation is part of CST's ongoing partnership with Benito Juarez Community Academy (BJCA). With the support of The Chicago Community Trust, Chicago Shakespeare is working to realize BJCA's potential as a performing arts facility and community center for greater Pilsen. View photos

On Monday, February 27, 2012, educators met at Chicago Shakespeare Theater for the first of a series of public conversations about the future of education. "Beyond These Times" is a working collaboration between three Chicago landmark nonprofit organizations: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, National Louis University, and the Golden Apple Foundation. "Lessons from the Future" features prominent authors and visionaries join early career educators for a close look at the challenges and promises of a future we can only begin to imagine. View photos

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, "William Shakespeare" joined the celebrities turning out for the 14th Annual Worldwide Toast to Harry Caray, hosted at Harry Caray's Tavern on Navy Pier. View photos

On February 23, 2012, CST hosted a special donor event in the Theater's Skyline Room featuring a lunch-time lecture from Regina Buccola, CST’s Scholar-In-Residence. In addition to the Theater's supporters, the lively discussion also coincided with the visit of representatives from the European Shakespeare Festivals Network, hosted by CST. View photos

In anticipation of Chicago Shakespeare Theater's (CST) world premiere production Othello: The Remix at this summer's Globe to Globe Festival, CST was honored to host a delegation of leaders from Shakespeare festivals across Europe. Representatives from Spain, Germany, Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and the United Kingdom joined CST Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson for a five-day tour of events exploring the heart of Chicago's cultural community. View photos

Following the opening performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream on February 15, 2012, members of the cast and creative team celebrated with an enthusiastic crowd of friends, supporters and special guests in the Theater's lobbies. View photos

The Feast: An Intimate Tempest opened on January 25, 2012 in the Carl and Marilyn Thoma Theater at CST. Friends and Supporters of Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Redmoon Theater joined the cast and crew to celebrate. View photos

Elizabeth Rex opened on December 7, 2011, members of the cast and creative team celebrated with an enthusiastic crowd of friends and supporters. View photos

Follies opened on October 12, 2011, members of the cast and creative team celebrated with an enthusiastic crowd of friends, supporters and special guests.
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On November 8, 2011, CST was honored to have living legend Sir Peter Hall at the annual Shakespeare Society dinner, where he was honored with the Spirit of Shakespeare Award. Accompanying Sir Hall was his wife, Lady Nicola Jane Hall. Also in attendance were members of the Theater’s Board of Directors, Shakespeare Society and Bard Circle donor societies, guests from fellow Chicago theaters, members of the press, and CST's senior staff. In addition to speeches from Board Member Hill Hammock, Artistic Director Barbara Gaines, and Sir Hall, guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and a plated dinner in the Skyline Room. View photos

On June 6, 2011, stars of the stage and Chicago community aligned to celebrate the singular commitment to excellence that has defined Chicago Shakespeare Theater for 25 exceptional seasons. CST inaugurated the "Spirit of Shakespeare Awards," honoring those who keep the spirit of Shakespeare alive through community service and artistic leadership. This year's Civic Honorees are John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe, committed leaders in civic, education and cultural activities; and Artistic Honorees are Sir Peter Hall, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Sir Derek Jacobi, internationally renowned stage and film actor. The Silver Jubilee Gala also featured a star-studded performance by Tony Award winners Heather Headley and Michael Cerveris and CST veteran actors Kevin Gudahl, Ross Lehman, Greg Vinkler and Larry Yando. The evening was a tremendous success, raising $1,226,105 in support of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s arts-in-education programming, Team Shakespeare.