SHOWS AND EVENTS
AS YOU LIKE IT
Love letters. Mistaken identities. Music. Wrestling. Poetry. Disguise.
A forest where the rules of society dissolve and everyone is free to discover who they truly are...
This September, Rose City Stage Company presents Shakespeare's As You Like It as the culmination of Shakespeare Unbuttoned and the Summer of Love celebration.
Set in the magical Forest of Arden, the play follows characters who leave behind expectation and convention in search of freedom, community, and connection. It is one of Shakespeare's most joyful explorations of identity, transformation, and the many forms that love can take.
There could be no more fitting conclusion to a summer honoring Darcelle's legacy and celebrating the freedom to express ourselves fully.
SHAKESPEARE MADE CLEAR with SARAH SPRING
Rose City Stage Company is thrilled to welcome Sarah Spring — the voice behind the widely followed Instagram account Shakespeare Made Clear — to Portland for a special, one-day masterclass in conjunction with Rose City’s production of Hamlet.
Known for her ability to break down Shakespeare’s language with clarity, precision, and a sense of play, Sarah has built a global following by making the Bard feel not only accessible, but exciting. Now, she brings that work off the screen and into the room.
This four-hour masterclass is designed for anyone curious about Shakespeare — whether you’re an actor, a longtime fan, or someone who’s always felt like you “should” understand it but never quite cracked the code. Rather than focusing on performance, this session dives into the language itself: how it works, how to unlock it, and how to experience it more fully.
HAMLET
This May, Rose City Stage Company presents a stripped-down Lab Production of Hamlet in Old Town, created in partnership with Central City Concern and staged during Mental Health Awareness Month. With minimal staging and nowhere to hide, this intimate production places Shakespeare’s most psychologically volatile tragedy in direct dialogue with the neighborhood that surrounds it.
Featuring a small cast and a tightly cut script, this Hamlet arrives raw and exposed—pressing on the fault lines where grief overwhelms, expectation corners, and the mind begins to fracture. Select performances will include post-show talkbacks with a mental health professional, extending the conversation beyond the stage and into the community.