Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
About
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is a Boston theater company founded in 1996 to present Shakespeare’s plays in vital, contemporary productions and to explore his work with Greater Boston’s young people. It is best known for Shakespeare on the Common, free outdoor performances on Boston Common, the oldest public park in the country. The summer production has become a Boston tradition, drawing upward of 75,000 people each year.
The company also performs beyond the Common. In December 2026 it returns to the historic Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre with its production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. With the Boston Public Library, it presents Shakespeare at the Library: Worlds of Imagination, site-specific scenes and monologues performed throughout the McKim building. Its Stage2 performances of Hamlet include student matinees, tying into its mission of exploring Shakespeare with young people.
What to Know
- Seats can be reserved in a dedicated Friends Section.
- Thanks to a partnership with Rodman for Kids, schools can attend the Stage2 Hamlet matinees at no cost.
- The company’s free outdoor performances have won awards.
- It is a partner of Meet Boston.
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