Equity, access, and inclusion are core values of the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company. Theatre has a remarkable power to bring people together and to allow us to examine our shared humanity. With our specific commitment to Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature, we constantly tackle the ongoing question of how these works resonate in our specific contemporary communities. The reach and influence of Shakespeare’s works throughout our culture allows his plays to serve as a kind of social glue, binding us together with common language, characters, and stories. Therefore, we believe that these works must be wholly available and made more accessible to all people. 

Most theatre practitioners and scholars today recognize that the classical theatre canon has been misused sometimes as a tool of systemic racism and gender bias, alienating some people from these works. CSC recognizes that we should do more to mitigate these harms and to aggressively pursue greater equity on our stages, in our classrooms, and in our offices. 

Differences in identity including age, background, class, gender, religion, nationality, disability, race, sexual orientation, and thinking style bring vibrancy to our organization and to our content. Such differences help us better connect with the stories that reflect our world. Our EAI values are intended to inform all ongoing discussions, committees, rehearsals, programming, and performances. 

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company aims to be an organization that works continually toward equity and inclusion in an intentional, respectful, and welcoming way. 

Our Commitments

Casting and Artistic Positions – CSC is committed to fostering conscious and intentional casting—on our mainstage, for our student matinees, and in our community programming. We highly prioritize hiring from a diverse pool of artists, actors, directors, and designers when creating our production teams. We strive to be stewards of our Maryland talent base, and our artistic company is entirely local.  

Hiring, Staff, and Board – To reflect the communities in which we live, we consistently endeavor to increase representation in our administrative staff, teaching artists, and trustees. We provide transparent information in job postings, including salary levels, and eliminate requirements that discourage otherwise qualified candidates. Our staff and board strive toward anti-hate and anti-discrimination practices and adhere strictly to our Code of Conduct. 

Audience – Without diverse audiences, we cannot truly serve our community. Our student matinee program is heavily invested in Baltimore City Public Schools whose students regularly attend at no cost to the schools or students. Our Shakespeare Beyond program brings our Shakespeare Wagon to parks and communities throughout the region to serve all kinds of audiences in their own neighborhoods. We work to ensure that our theatre remains accessible to patrons with disabilities and mobility needs. 

Content and Programming – We continually strive to redefine what “classic theatre” means in Maryland today. We research and recommend plays and stories of a classic tradition that are from underrepresented voices in gender, culture, nationality, and race. Diversity onstage is a critical way to connect with all communities so that everyone feels included. 

Community – We support, maintain, and develop community programs that invest in the greater Baltimore area and Maryland. Our Black Classical Acting Ensemble is tasked with both mentoring and training local Black actors at no cost to them as well as creating an Afrocentric model of actor training for classical plays—something that has not been deeply explored in the US. Our Shakespeare Beyond program is a critical tool for community outreach, bringing free performances and arts education to neighborhoods with limited access to creative programming.