Shakespeare is at the heart of our mission. This season’s five productions—Shakes in the City: Twelfth Night, Henry V, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Pericles, Short Shakespeare! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Teatro La Plaza’s Hamlet—displayed Shakespeare as we know him to be: a contemporary and radical writer in his own time, whose compelling and original voice continues to inspire us today. His works teach us empathy, entertain us, challenge our ways of thinking and constantly remind us of the wonder of our world. Out of his humanity and his artistry, our work this season highlighted the breadth and depth of his genius, a powerful reminder of the Bard’s relevance in the modern world.

In the 2024/25 Season, we created a host of large-scale North American premiere productions that activated The Yard as never before—from the sensational The Lord of the Rings—A Musical Tale and The Kinks’ rocking Sunny Afternoon to the exuberant world of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and the soaringly original 42 Balloons. Innovative new producing models united CST’s artistic expertise with commercial presenting partners and non-profit co-producers to expand our impact through increasingly ambitious projects with a future life on stages around the world. CST is THE place to see the world’s most exciting theater—first.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater believes that theater is for everyone and can transform lives. At a time when arts and education funding is being challenged, CST serves more students and teachers than any theater in Chicago. These programs support the development of young people’s crucial skills, including social-emotional competencies, critical literacy, and meaningful collaboration in classrooms and in life. No matter where an individual is on their learning journey, CST fosters a space to explore, absorb, create, and build community through our lifelong learning programs.

Chicago Shakespeare gratefully recognizes the gifts and partnerships provided by our hundreds of individual donors and institutions in our digital donor listing.

We are committed to providing access to high quality, culturally responsive arts education, and fostering a love for lifelong learning through innovative programming.