Partnerships with Local Theatres
In the East Bay:
is a major regional theater whose performance space, the Bruns Amphitheater, is located in nearby . Cal Shakes’ New Classics Initiative explores what it means to be a classical theater in the 21st century, and allows living writers with the same vision and scope of Shakespeare to expand the classical canon and by extension, what is thought of as universal. Saint Mary’s students and alumni have performed, trained, and worked in a range of jobs at Cal Shakes since 1996.
SPARC’s flagship program, Shakespeare in the Vineyard, (formerly Livermore Shakespeare Festival) brings over 5,500 attendees to Livermore Wine Country each summer for live productions. Over the last decade, Saint Mary’s students have enjoyed paid summer internships as actors and stage managers with the company.
has grown from a storefront stage to an international leader in innovative theatre. Known for its ambition, relevance, and excellence, as well as its adventurous audience, the nonprofit has provided a welcoming home for emerging and established artists since 1968. The Rep’s cutting-edge productions are frequently attended and studied in Saint Mary’s theatre classes, and individual students have completed their senior projects or found part-time crew work at the Rep.
’ mission is to "create bold, relevant, affordable theatre that inspires and challenges audiences and artists alike to re-examine our lives, our community, and the ever-changing world around us." The company is one of the few mid-sized theaters that maintains a core company of artists—including actors, directors, designers, playwrights, and stage managers. For over 20 years, Saint Mary’s students (and faculty) have worked with this mid-size professional company – as actors, directors, designers, literary interns, and front of house staff.
(closed), performing in Berkeley’s intimate Live Oak Theatre, “employs art and activism to provoke change, ignite learning, and improve community health.” Leading with mandates of a minimum two-thirds people of color, half female-identified, and one-third LGBTQ in all aspects of infrastructure and production, TheatreFIRST is a forty-member-strong community. In the last five years, Saint Mary’s students have performed and taken on leadership positions with the company.
- Lafayette Established in 1944 and reorganized in 1992 as the Town Hall Theatre Company of Lafayette, Town Hall is the oldest continuously active theatre company in Contra Costa County. Town Hall believes that theatre is a place for everyone, and seeks to create and be a part of a thriving community that connects performing artists, students, and audiences through creative and accessible experiences. Located just four miles from the Saint Mary’s campus, the theatre has employed Saint Mary’s students both onstage and behind the scenes – as literary managers and stage managers – and our faculty have designed for the company.
In San Francisco:
is a Tony Award-winning nonprofit theater serving the San Francisco Bay Area through theater, training, education and community programs. Their mission is to engage the spirit of the San Francisco Bay Area, telling stories that resonate, promote diverse voices and points of view, and empower artists and audiences to celebrate liveness. Saint Mary’s students study and attend A.C.T.’s world class productions, and many have studied through its Summer Training Congress. Our alumni work at the theatre as educators, stage managers, and administrative staff.
develops and presents innovative and provocative new plays that reflect the diverse world in which we live. American Theatre Magazine calls the company “instrumental in introducing the Bay Area to new writers who push the boundaries of what theatre can be” and “one of the most reliable local stops for high-quality new work by diverse voices.” Saint Mary’s theatre students have studied and attended Crowded Fire’s cutting edge productions, and our faculty have worked on scenic construction in addition to being designers and dramaturgs.
is a nonprofit theatre in downtown San Francisco. The Bay Area’s most-awarded theatre company (Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, 2012-2022), the Playhouse stages plays and musicals every year, including world premieres, Broadway and Off-Broadway hits, and thought-provoking works from playwrights around the world.