We’re an artistic partner that funds and supports contemporary modern verse Shakespeare in theatrical practice, productions, and education.

Background Photo: Lysander (actor, Benjamin Michael Hall) and Hermia (actor, Ángela Utrera) share a sweet moment in the woods in the Great Lakes Theater production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square. (Photo by Roger Mastroianni)

“Plays are always present tense.

So how do we translate the present tense of Shakespeare into the present tense of today?”

—Dr. Lue M. Douthit
Director of Research & Practice and Co-Founder at Play On Shakespeare

Our Translations

Explore Shakespeare’s timeless stories translated into modern verse by a diverse set of today’s most exciting playwrights.

Find A Translation

Photo credit: Veronica Slavin. Company: The Acting Company.

What We Do

We’re an artistic partner that funds and supports Shakespeare in translation through production and education.

Funding & Support

Who We Are

Meet the staff, board, playwrights, and dramaturgs who are translating Shakespeare into modern verse.

Meet our team and our artists

Photo Credit: Mackenzie Breeden

Curious about producing Shakespeare in a modern verse translation?

Fill out our script request form so we can send you a script to peruse and more info about what these translations look like in production.

Request a Script

Demos

Experience the difference between Shakespeare’s original language and our contemporary modern verse translations—written by a diverse set of today’s most exciting playwrights.

Watch Now

“Play On Shakespeare translations open up new worlds where young folks and audiences of all ages can see themselves in the work. Shakespeare can be for them.”

—Natalie Greene
Director of Education & Community Programs at American Conservatory Theater