History of the Festival
In 1989, a band of actors from California Institute of the Arts gathered and produced a production of Mid Summers Nights Dream, touring the Santa Clarita and Los Angeles area parks. In 1990, under the direction of David Stears, Shakespeare in the Park was was formally introduced, as a program of the Santa Clarita Repertory. With a production of Taming of the Shrew set in Newhall California, 1889, the production toured the local parks throughout the Santa Clarita Valley and at the William S Hart Mansion. Taming of the Shrew reached more than 800 people that summer.
For ten consecutive summers, Shakespeare in the Parks continued to bring professional and community theatre artists together to create outstanding productions throughout the valley. Additionally, the Shakespeare in the Park brought scenes and workshops to local high schools.
With the departure of the founding artistic director, the Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre continued the tradition of great Shakespeare performances touring the valley. But alas, producing theatre is can be an expensive and sometimes arduous endeavor. With changes in the theatre’s leadership, a new performance space in downtown Newhall, and difficulty fundraising, the Shakespeare in the Park was briefly suspended, and eventually the company that created it, folded.
Out of the ashes came a reorganized and revitalized, Repertory East Playhouse, residing in the former home its predecessor. With Ovington Michael Owston, as the company new Artistic Director, the REP has made a commitment to bringing back the Shakespeare in the Park productions. With a production of Midsummer Nights Dream, directed by Mikke Schwin, the REP’s Managing Director, the Shakespeare in the Park made a dynamic comeback.
In 2008, the Canyon Theatre Guild, under the Artistic Direction of TimBen Boydston, joined forces with Ovington Michael Owston of the REP East Playhouse to co-produce the Shakespeare in the Park performances. With a grant from the City of Santa Clarita, the two companies joined forces to grow the festival. With the strong inclusion of local professionals and talented students, the festival saw the return of the founder, David Stears.
In 2009, Shakespeare in the Park celebrated the 20th Anniversary the event with the Production of Pericles. With the support and encouragement from the producing partners, the Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival was formed as an independent company, dedicated to creating a grand summer festival for the region.
