Founded in 1990, Washington Shakespeare Company (WSC) is a performing arts organization dedicated to producing primarily classic works, both time-tested and contemporary classics; emphasizing a provocative, bold approach in an intimate setting; and training and showcasing the best emerging talent in the region, mentored by seasoned, professional theatre artists.

WSC's mission is expressed through its commitment to artistic excellence, collaboration, developing talent, and promoting educational and social outreach.  Our history is replete with edgy, innovative productions of Shakespeare, from Julius Caesar on the top floor of an unfinished office building in Ballston to a Kubrick-inspired Richard II; productions of works by other world literary giants, from Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot to Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman; American classics, from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire to Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour and Edward Albee’s Tiny Alice; exciting new plays, from Allison Currin’s Learning Curves to Julie Jensen’s Two-Headed; and hit productions of our favorite contemporary playwright, Tom Stoppard, from Travesties to Hapgood.  Our upcoming mainstage programming, including three productions offered as part of the 2007 Shakespeare in Washington Festival, WSC Downtown, and our various exciting reading series build on this tradition of bold productions of rarely produced classics, time-honored and contemporary.

WSC is fortunate to have called Clark Street Playhouse home since we converted the cavernous warehouse into one of the area’s most flexible performance spaces in 1995.  In the fall of 2005, when we embarked on our 16th season, we understood that it would be our last at Clark Street.  We are pleased to have learned, however, that we have more time before we must say goodbye to the unique and electric theatre space which we built ourselves; that we can do all of our 2007 Shakespeare in Washington Festival programming and more at Clark Street!  We know that we will still have to move eventually, but we take great comfort knowing that we will be able to produce our Classic Edge theatre at Clark Street into 2008. 

Washington Shakespeare Company is supported in part by Arlington County through the Cultural Affairs Division of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources and the Arlington Commission for the Arts; The Virginia Commission for the Arts; The Weissberg Foundation; and The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation.

“The hippest theatre in the city.”

Bob Mondello, Washington City Paper

WSC's Clark Street Playhouse
601 S. Clark St.,
Crystal City (Arlington), VA 22202 (Directions)