Marin Shakespeare Company is one of the most innovative theatre companies in the Bay Area.
ARTS programming includes award-winning summer performances since 1990, and a variety of performance and events in the new Center at 514 Fourth Street, San Rafael.
EDUCATION programs serve thousands of young people each year.
SOCIAL JUSTICE programs use Shakespeare and Theatre as tools for rehabilitation in California state prisons and beyond.
For years, Marin Shakespeare Company had been bursting at the seams, with spatial and technical constraints limiting our ability to fulfill our ambitious artistic, educational and social justice agenda.
In 2020, we renovated the 50+-year old Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, adding audience amenities, technical capacity, improved acoustics, backstage dressing rooms, and accessibility, making Forest Meadows an even more welcoming venue for artists and audiences.
In 2023, we completed our Center for Peforming Arts, Education, and Social Justice at 514 Fourth Street in downtown San Rafael as a new, year-round home for our programs and administrative offices. This community gathering place will provide opportunities for discovery and exploration through theatre for generations to come.
Click here for more information about Forest Meadows
Click here for more information about 514 Fourth Street.
Three pivotal developments converged to create an exciting opportunity for growth:
- We secured a 25-year lease with Dominican University, allowing us to renovate the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre.
- An inspired theatre patron gifted us with a two-million dollar lead gift for capital improvements.
- An ideal space for our permanent home came up for sale – the former Heller’s for Children’s building at 514 Fourth Street in San Rafael, just five blocks from Forest Meadows.
We can now envision a dual-site future with year-round opportunities for performances, classes, training, office space, community gatherings, and more groundbreaking work using Shakespeare and Theatre as tools for social change.
READ MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE
Take a virtual tour of the new space HERE
YOU CAN HELP
We completed our capital campaign without taking out a loan or going into debt, thanks to generous donors. In addition, we “borrowed” heavily from our operating reserves. We welcome contributions to the campaign to replenish reserves, and allow for further “Phase 2” improvements. Naming opportunities exist, as well as the opportunity to sponsor a Chair in the new theatre for $1,500; $2,000; or $2,500.
To find out more, please email Lesley Currier at management@marinshakespeare.org or phone Lesley Currier at 415-499-4485.