Private company
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Theater company in Boston, MA, USA (formed 1996)
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) was formed in 1996 by artistic director Steven Maler and associate Joan Moynagh to bring free, outdoor Shakespeare to the people of the city of Boston. Since 1996, CSC has produced one full Shakespeare production each summer starting with A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1996 at Copley Square. All subsequent productions have taken place in Boston Common, first at the Parkman Bandstand and now at the Parade Ground.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
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Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) was formed in 1996 by artistic director Steven Maler and associate Joan Moynagh to bring free, outdoor Shakespeare to the people of the city of Boston. Since 1996, CSC has produced one full Shakespeare production each summer starting with A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1996 at Copley Square. All subsequent productions have taken place in Boston Common, first at the Parkman Bandstand and now at the Parade Ground. In addition to the annual Boston Common productions, CSC presents several free play-reading events during the year: Theatre in the Rough, Shakespeare and Law, as well as Shakespeare and Leadership. CSC has actor-training programs for both high school students and pre-professional actors with its Summer Academy. Throughout the year, CSC partners with area high schools and Boys & Girls Clubs to provide in and after-school theater activities to inner-city youth. In 2013, CSC became the theatre in residence at Babson College.2
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Mainstage productions
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1996) - CSC's first production, took place at Copley Square, in collaboration with the city of Boston
Romeo and Juliet (1997) - first production at the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common
As You Like It (1998)
Julius Caesar (1999) - performed for the 400th anniversary of the writing of Julius Caesar to over 30,000 patrons
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The Tempest (2000) - nearly half of scheduled performances were cancelled, due to rain
Twelfth Night (2001) - performed to over 45,000 patrons; earned Elliot Norton Award for Best Production
Henry V (2002) - set in a London Tube station during World War II; starred Anthony Rapp
Macbeth (2003) - starred Jay O. Sanders
Much Ado About Nothing (2004) - performed to over 85,000 patrons
Hamlet (2005) - performed to over 90,000 patrons
The Taming of the Shrew (2006) - set in the historic North End, Boston, Massachusetts
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
As You Like It (2008) - starred Fred Weller & Marin Ireland
The Comedy of Errors (2009)
Othello (2010)
All's Well That Ends Well (2011)
Coriolanus (2012)
Two Gentlemen of Verona (2013)
Twelfth Night (2014)
King Lear (2015) starring Will Lyman
Love's Labour's Lost (2016)
Romeo and Juliet (2017) directed by Allegra Libonati
Richard III (2018) starring Faran Tahir
Cymbeline (2019) directed by Fred Sullivan Jr
The Tempest (2021) directed by Steve Maler
Much Ado About Nothing (2022) directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian
Macbeth (2023) directed by Steve Maler and starring Faran Tahir and Joanne Kelly
The Winter's Tale (2024) directed by Bryn Boice
As You Like It (2025)
Other productions
Shakespeare at Fenway (2014) - the first live theatre at Fenway Park featuring local and national actors
Happy Days (2014) - starring Brooke Adams and Tony Shalhoub
Our American Hamlet (2017)
From Wikipedia’s article on Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3
Links
- WikipediaCommonwealth Shakespeare Company
- WikidataQ5153855
Sources
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