Shake A Speare….

Who could have known where a shout from a gentleman at the back of the Crystal would lead the Crystal volunteers and performers? Did that gentleman who slipped through the unlocked doors during rehearsal more than 40 years ago know something the Crystal didn’t know yet? We had never seen this fellow before, and after walking him out and explaining that rehearsals were in progress … no one has ever seen him since.

He would be astounded at how far that shout has carried the work of the theater, its volunteers, its students, and Crystal’s far-reaching vision.

For the last 15 years, the young people of the area have embraced the words of the Bard in ways no one could have ever envisioned. It was yet another somewhat random remark that cinched the deal, and created a new facet of the Young Program. 

Riding with a load of Youth Center kids in an un-air-conditioned bus to see a Shakespearean play at Winedale was an eye-opening experience. But when we got there and one of the youngsters ask “which one is Shakespeare?” was even more eye-opening. That day the idea of our own Shakespearean troupe was born. Who knew where the work of five brave boys representing all ethnicities, from all walks of life would take the Crystal.

Today, the Gonzales Crystal Theater and the University of Texas outreach see that several of our students are accepted into the Shakespeare at Winedale two-week residential camp every year.  Last year one of our students participated in the university program that produces three Shakespearean plays on a rotating basis. In 2024 and again this year, our students have been hired by Camp Shakespeare as directorial assistants. 

This year, after the Covid shutdowns, five of the long-time Shakespeare Ninjas finally got to study at the Globe in London and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford on Avon! And that’s how you Shake a Speare!

Go to gonzalescrystaltheater.org for information the upcoming plays by Camp Shakespeare at the Crystal this summer!