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Brave New World Campaign

Please Join Us in the Campaign to Create Tennessee’s First and Only Permanent, Year-Round Home for Professional Shakespeare Performance and Education

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Meet Us

2023-2024 Company

Dan McCleary

Dan McCleary

Founder and the Nancy R. Copp Producing Artistic Director
Jeremy Allen Fisher

Jeremy Allen Fisher

Resident Production and Facility Manager; Resident Lighting Designer
E. Frank Bluestein

E. Frank Bluestein

Executive Director & Senior Advisor
Marquis Dijon Archuleta

Marquis Dijon Archuleta

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

Dean Coutris

Dean Coutris

Kristen Fisher

Kristen Fisher

Lauren Gunn

Lauren Gunn

Senior Resident Actor
Melanie Mulder

Melanie Mulder

Kaitlyn Shamley

Kaitlyn Shamley

Development and Communications Manager
Stephanie Shine

Stephanie Shine

Director of Outreach/General Manager/Gala Coordinator/Resident Artist
Michael Khanlarian

Michael Khanlarian

Irene Keeney

Irene Keeney

Nicolas Dureaux Picou

Nicolas Dureaux Picou

Senior Resident Actor
Allison White

Allison White

Barbara McFall

Barbara McFall

Bookkeeper
Parker Chase

Parker Chase

Administrative and Box Office/Sales Manager
Stuart Heyman

Stuart Heyman

Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson

Blake Galtelli-Meek

Blake Galtelli-Meek

Erin Amlicke

Erin Amlicke

Carleigh Boyle

Carleigh Boyle

Victoria Coulter

Victoria Coulter

Jason Eschhofen

Jason Eschhofen

Ali Flip

Ali Flip

Roger Hanna

Roger Hanna

Elijah Eliakim Hernandez

Elijah Eliakim Hernandez

Kristina Hinako

Kristina Hinako

Roberta Inscho

Roberta Inscho

Edgar Landa

Edgar Landa

Logan McCarty

Logan McCarty

Micki McCormick

Micki McCormick

Hadley Evans Nash

Hadley Evans Nash

Gwendolyn Schwinke

Gwendolyn Schwinke

Jasmine Simmers

Jasmine Simmers

Cheleen Sugar-Ducksworth

Cheleen Sugar-Ducksworth

Allison Teegarden

Allison Teegarden

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams

Eliza Pagelle

Eliza Pagelle

As You Like It
What You're Saying

Reviews

“I don’t want my comments to seem hyperbolic—but my students and I feel that this was the richest literary experience we have ever had.”

Julia Goodwin

English Teacher, Bartlett HS

“Many of my students, who had expressed trepidation in understanding Shakespeare, were surprised to find that they not only understood but also enjoyed the play.”

Janelle Phipps

English Teacher, Harding Academy

“I genuinely enjoy working with Tennessee Shakespeare Company and was grateful they were able to make adaptations to a fully virtual, asynchronous environment. I eagerly look forward to being able to return in person next year so that my students can get the full experience of all that the Romeo and Juliet Project has to offer.”

Samara Francisco

Soulsville Charter School

“Students are on their feet, role-playing significant characters, speaking English with fluency, and asking significant questions. After the first lesson, my scholars kept asking me, ‘When are they coming back?’ They were so excited and inspired by the process.”

Kelly Geer

Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy

“I learned an in-depth analysis about Romeo and Juliet, since the language in the actual text can be a little hard to understand.”

Student

Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy

Student Prompt: Choose one character from the play that made decisions that led to negative outcomes. Please help that character by offering alternate choices that might lead to a positive outcome.

“A character from the play that made decisions that led to negative outcomes was Romeo. Some advice that I would give to him is to walk away when you see that things are getting bad. Don’t just let all the ‘pain’ and ‘guilt’ be on you.”

Student

Memphis Business Academy

“I learned that there is an actual company that comes to schools to help students learn more about Shakespeare by inviting them to participate physically in his plays.”

Student

“Please continue to fund this project. My students were very engaged and excited about this opportunity. TSC makes Shakespeare easier to understand for students, and they love roleplaying various scenes. This experience was priceless and meant so much to students. I look forward to working with TN Shakespeare Company again next year.”

Christina Cunningham

Teacher, East High School

“Students were so much more engaged in classroom learning because of the 3 sessions. They were able to draw literary parallels more easily and remember characters. They did delve into the material more deeply and more meaningfully than in other units. One student who has failed every test this year made a 97 on his Romeo and Juliet test. When I told him, he said, ‘This is the best story I’ve ever read. I’ve never even heard of Romeo and Juliet until two weeks ago.’ It is SO well done and engaging. It really blessed our little school to get to have TSC work with our students and perform for them. It was astounding.”

Lauren Moore

Teacher, Rossville Christian Academy

“The Romeo and Juliet Project is the only opportunity some of these students have to be exposed to actors and theater. It is a field trip without having to leave the classroom; plus, it is an unforgettable experience that makes high school fun. Students are able to try new things, like acting, while also learning valuable lessons about the preciousness of life.”

Hannah Harris

Teacher, Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy

“Please continue to support the efforts of these talented actors who bring literature to life. Our students need to know that reading and writing are sources of enlightenment and entertainment, not for just a test. These talented actors help teach the life lessons I want my students to take away from this play, while gaining an appreciation for the genre. Past students still tell me how much they loved working with the actors and Romeo and Juliet.”

Mary Frost

Teacher, Bartlett Ninth Grade Academy

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Tennessee Shakespeare Company is generously sponsored and supported by:

This season is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee. This project is supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number SLFRP5534, awarded to the State of Tennessee by the U.S. Department of Treasury. 

Season Sponsors (Individuals):

FedEx, International Paper, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest, ArtsMemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission, Independent Bank, Evans Petree PC, Kathryn and Jim Gilliland, Mike and Anne Orgill Keeney, First Horizon Foundation through an ArtsFirst grant, AutoZone, Campbell Clinic, the family of Pat and Ernest Kelly, Dorothy O. Kirsch, The Sims Family Charitable Trust, Nancy R. Copp, The Shakespeare Fund of Theater League of Kansas City, the Jack Jones Children’s Literacy Fund, The Sims Family Charitable Trust, the family of Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor, the Barbara B. Apperson Angel Fund, and the Dunbar Abston Fund for Sustainable Excellence

Season Partners:

Bartlett Performing Arts Center, Benjamin Hooks Public Library Friends, Cities of Bartlett, Collierville, and Memphis, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, Memphis Juvenile Justice System, Memphis V.A. Medical Center, Overton Park Shell, Overton Square, Shelby County Election Commission, Shelby County Schools, University of Memphis’ Department of Theatre & Dance, and Wiseacre Brewery

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a proud member of:

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