Elsewhere Shakespeare

FAST & LOOSE SHAKESPEARE IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

we’re not a theatre company. we’re a punk band that Performs Shakespeare

Shakespeare for anyone. No rules, no barriers, no bullshit.

  • In-Your-Face Audience Interaction
  • Heavily-Cut 90 Minute Shows
  • No Directors
  • No Cover Charge
Catch The Next Show

Felt just Like My First Punk Rock Show

“I have never read or been to a Shakespeare performance before, but somehow this experience felt familiar. Whether it was the props hidden under chairs, the contagious energy of the performers, or the many moments of surprise, this performance felt just like I was a 16-year-old kid at my first punk rock show in a basement. It moved me in no small way, and for that I am grateful.”

— Matt Johnson, Richmond Author

Hilary Dennis

ACTOR-MANAGER

Mac MacDaniel

ACTOR-MANAGER

KATIE MIXON

ACTOR-MANAGER

“The Play’s The Thing”

A new book by our founder, Mac. It’s a beginner’s guide to seeing and enjoying Shakespeare.

Get Your Copy
Learn More

Steal our ideas. No, Seriously.

Nothing would make us happier than for a thousand new DIY punk Shakespeare companies to spring up and start doing cool shit. That’s why we have created an exhaustive list of resources on everything from our founding philosophies and how to raise money to our script cuts and our tutorials for making some of our favorite DIY props.

This Is Shakespeare For All Of Us

Check Out All Of Our Resources

Study Group

Pre-Cut Scripts

Reading List

Prop Tutorials

Workshop

Fundraising

In-Classroom programs

Past Elsewhere Shakespeare Shows

Elsewhere = Everyone

“Elsewhere Shakespeare is a new breed of Bard. This company is young, smart, fresh, surprising, and dares to try what others haven’t or won’t. Their spirit of “Play it Fast and Loose” puts Shakespeare firmly back in the realm of unstuffy popular entertainment—its true origins—without a bit of dumbing down. Elsewhere = Everybody. It’s Shakespeare for us. All of us.”

— Dr. Jan Powell, FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT RICHMOND SHAKESPEARE, LAKE TAHOE SHAKESPEARE, AND TYGRES HEART SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

FAQS

Elsewhere was started in Richmond, Virginia (USA) and all of our shows to date have been in Richmond, but the people responsible for Elsewhere are scattered around the country.

We really hate the traditional audition model. In general, we cast our friends and folks whose work we’ve seen and liked. If you want to be our friend, or want us to see your work, drop us a line at elsewhereshakespeare@gmail.com

Shoot us an email at elsewhereshakespeare@gmail.com or subscribe to our mailing list.

It means not waiting for permission from someone more qualified. It means cutting out all the boring parts. It means prioritizing enthusiasm over perfectionism, and energy over skill. It means engaging with the art that matters to you even if you don’t have the training or education that people say you need to have. It means that the audience is as much a part of the show as the performers. We start with those philosophies and build whatever show feels right for us.

We try to find a balance between enough rehearsal that actors know what they’re doing, but not so much that there’s no room for spontaneity. Some of the best moments in theatre arise when a performer reacts to the situation in the room in the moment, and we think that leaving things just a little unfinished leaves room for unpredictable magic.

One show means you can take risks you might otherwise be scared to take. It creates urgency for the audience, and it leans into the ephemeral nature of theatre that differentiates it from movies and television. You can’t stream it after the fact; either you’re there when it happens or you have to catch the next one.