"[Shakespeare in the Woods is an Independent Project spearheaded by producing artistic director, Katharine Maness.]

After Shakespeare in the Woods' landmark 5th Season, we have no intention of slowing down. But we need your help to keep the momentum going into 2026!

We're fundraising $5,000 by Dec. 31st! Help SitW finish 2025 on a high note and get a strong start on our plans for next season by making an impactful gift today.

We are asking individual donors like you to consider the widespread, meaningful impact of your fiscal gift when you give generously and vigorously. We know that access to art is pivotal for a healthy, fruitful life. The arts are essential for social wellness. As a theatre co producing explicitly queer, socially conscious, and innovative work in a small, rural state we know this to be especially true.

SitW has developed a bold and singular approach to reimagining Shakespeare for the here and now that first time & return audiences alike are loving:

"The best Shakespeare you'll ever see."

"My heart soared for all the ways I could perceive the diversity of the cast and how beautifully that added to the nuance of an already nuanced story!"

"One of the most searing, electrifying moments of theater I’ve seen in a long time."

"We love Shakespeare and we thought the performances were outstanding. We loved the modern take and the emotion that was conveyed throughout."

"I finally enjoyed Shakespeare!!!”

"I really love that there is a theater company so near to be that treasures and uplifts the queer community!"

Thank you for support! We can't wait to share a whole new season with you in 2026!

Donation Giving Levels:

$1 +: Village Tier (I love the work, and this is what I can give!)

$150 - $249: Groundling Tier (Covers rehearsal & performance safety kits to keep our cast & crew safe and sound on the ground.)

Program recognition

$250 - $499: Battenkill Tier (Builds the set!)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance

$500 - $999: Globe Tier (Covers roundtrip transportation to VT for our professional artists.)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance
2026 Season Poster signed by Company

$1,000 - $2,499: Northshire Tier (Keeps our tech equipment & delicate set pieces safely stored on site.)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance
Piece of SitW Merch
2026 Season Poster signed by Company

$2,500 - $4,999: First Folio Tier (Covers both Costume and Sound Designer contract fees.)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance
Piece of SitW Merch
2026 Season Poster signed by Company
Invitation to visit a rehearsal

$5,000 - $9,999: Equinox Tier (Covers all production and design costs for both shows! Equal to the average grant award amount.)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance
Piece of SitW Merch
2026 Season Poster signed by Company
Invitation to visit a rehearsal
Invitation to Pre-Season Cocktail Hour at The Falcon Bar w/members of the cast & crew
4 Complimentary tickets to performances

$10,000+: The Bard’s Tier (Covers half of all housing costs for our 7wk rental period in the Manchester area, to accommodate the amazing artists we hire for the season!)

Program recognition
Invitation to a Season Preview Performance
Piece of SitW Merch
2026 Season Poster signed by Company
Invitation to visit a rehearsal
Invite to Pre-Season Cocktail Hour at The Falcon Bar w/members of the cast & crew
4 Complimentary tickets to performances
Private dinner with Producing Artistic Director and Collaborative Producer

SitW currently receives the majority of its funding from a combination of grants and sustained individual donors, followed by grassroots fundraising, ticket sales, and playbill advertisers. Click here to learn about SitW's Production Economics with a breakdown of last season's (2025) budget, and info about our Sliding Scale Ticket Model.

About Shakespeare in the Woods

Shakespeare in the Woods (SitW) is an outdoor theatre company committed to leading bold theatrical experimentation through a modern, radical, and gender expansive queer lens, in pursuit of a reimagined Shakespeare Canon for the here and now. We create innovative and revelatory adaptations of Shakespeare that invite both artist and audience to imagine the text as a new work entirely. We are motivated by the question “Why this play, why now?” and the potential we see in the connective thread between Shakespeare’s original text and the relatable themes of our modern moment.

As an outdoor theatre co. with an environmental mindset, our productions are elevated through respectful collaboration with nature, leading to a completely unique, intimate, and immersive experience. SitW is excited to be a burgeoning leader in the industry, demonstrating what is possible through unconventional, imaginative, and equitable practices that prioritizes forward thinking art grounded in communal dialogue.

Shakespeare in the Woods is at its core a manifestation of queer artistic expression. Your support directly enables us to cultivate a creative space in Southern Vermont for BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ artists to bring their full uncompromising selves to their work, and in turn provide a cyclical opportunity with audiences, especially those holding intersecting identities, to experience authentic representation in theatre.

SitW’s work argues in favor of valuing art as a tool for learning empathy and humanity within community. We believe that art enriches daily life and that its ability to engage audiences in conversation is vital for social wellness. With your support, we will be able to grow our roots as a company and bring vibrant and accessible theatre to Vermont & communities.

To learn more visit www.shakespeareinthewoods.org and follow us on Instagram: @shakespeareinthewoods

(Twelfth Night, Or, What You Will and Macbeth - 2024)

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All donations are tax-deductible, with the exclusion of Perks estimated market value. All Perks are optional and at the Donor's discretion to accept or forgo.

The Center for Arts and Learning is SitW's fiscal agent. For questions about donating to SitW via stock, DAF, or other assets, please contact Phayvanh Luekhamhan at: director@cal-vt.org

Donations may be made to the Shakespeare in the Woods by mail to this address:

c/o the Center for Arts and Learning, 46 Barre Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.

Checks should be made out to the Center for Arts and Learning.

Shakespeare in the Woods

By Center for Arts & Learning Inc

Shakespeare in the Woods

Support boundary-pushing, vibrant theatre in the Green Mountains!

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