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

Celebrate Shakespeare in the Woods'✨5TH BIRTHDAY✨ with an impactful donation to our 2025 Season!

Shakespeare in the Woods (SitW) is proud to enter its fifth year of producing revelatory, experimental classical theatre in Southern Vermont! SitW has developed a bold and singular approach to reimagining Shakespeare for the here and now that audiences have enthusiastically received, saying:

"It took my breath away!"

"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."

"The caliber of the performances are impressive and the thought-provoking interpretation & non-traditional casting led to new insights into a familiar play."

"I felt involved as an audience member, the love and joy of the company was palpable and the trip was worth it. I would do it all over again."

We are so excited to connect with audiences in 2025, with gripping and timely reimagined productions of Richard II and Love’s Labour’s Lost! This 5th season is our most ambitious yet, with a total estimated budget of $111,000 - and this is where you come in: To achieve our production goals, we need your impactful support!

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. We are asking individual donors like you to consider the widespread, meaningful impact of your fiscal gift when you give generously and vigorously.

Thank you for support and we can't wait to celebrate with you this summer on the lawn!

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: first aid, sunscreen, tick & bug spray, covid-19 tests, masks)

$250 - $499: Battenkill Tier (contributes to set design materials)

$500 - $999: Globe Tier (contributes to roundtrip artist transportation to and from Vermont)

$1,000 - $2,499: Northshire Tier (covers U-Haul trailer rental for on tech equipment & set storage)

$2,500 - $4,999: First Folio Tier (covers Costumer and Sound Designer contracts)

$5,000 - $9,999: Equinox Tier (covers all production and design costs; equal to the average grant award amount)

$10,000+: The Bard’s Tier (covers half of all VT housing costs for 7wk rental period or both Director contracts)

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 our 2025 Season budget and info about our Sliding Scale Ticket Model.

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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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 SitW's 5th Anniversary Season!