Michigan Shakespeare Festival Revenue and Competitors

A HISTORY OF THE MICHIGAN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL The Michigan Shakespeare Festival began in 1995 as the Jackson Shakespeare Festival and was the final show in the Michigan Theatre Players season. In 1996 an outdoor stage was built at Ella Sharp Park and the Festival doubled its attendance to more than 1,000 people. An affiliation with the University of Michigan Dept. of Theatre and Drama in 1997 allowed the Festival to reach a new level of professionalism. In 1998 the Festival was officially renamed the Michigan Shakespeare Festival, reflecting its new partnership and the regional nature of the event. Members of Actors’ Equity were added to the company in 1999 and the Festival expanded to 6 performances a week for 3 weeks. In 2000 a semi-permanent stage was built on a new site in Ella Sharp Park. In 2003, the Festival’s quality and reputation as a regional classical theatre earned it the designation as “The Official Shakespeare Festival of the State of Michigan” from the Governor and State Senate. It is the only fully professional Shakespeare company in the state. Plans are under way to find a permanent site on which to build an outdoor stage with cover for the audience. Until that dream can be realized the Festival has moved indoors beginning with the 2004 (10th Anniversary) season. This provides audience amenities such as reserved seating and air conditioning and will help stabilize the Festival’s financial base by guaranteeing that performances can go on. Plans are being developed to take the Festival to other Michigan cities in future years. Wherever it is located, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival is committed to providing the highest quality classical theatre in the region. The elements of a talented and visionary staff, a dedicated board, and enthusiastic community support blend to form a theatrical enterprise that is a source of entertainment, education, enrichment and economic development for Jackson County and southern Michigan.