The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) is a not-for-profit, community-based arts enrichment program in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

that produces classical and contemporary stage productions.

History

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival began in 1972 at Sugar Pine Point State Park on the west shore of

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...

. During its run from 1972-1974, productions were performed on the lawn in front of th
Ehrman Mansion
until maintenance issues made the venue unsuitable. Under the auspices of th
North Tahoe Fine Arts Council
(NTFAC), performances were moved t
Skylandia Park
in

Tahoe City Tahoe City (formerly Tahoe) is an unincorporated town in Placer County, California. Tahoe City is located on the shore of Lake Tahoe, at the outlet of the Truckee River. The site was surveyed in 1863, and Tahoe House was built in 1864. The Tah ...

, until attendance growth surpassed capacity. In 1978, NTFAC and Nevada State Parks agreed to move the venue to Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park
Sand Harbor
and performances resumed in 1979. NTFAC produced and managed Shakespeare at Sand Harbor, nicknamed "Bard on the Beach." By 1988, the repertory schedule had increased to 15 nights and often included non-Shakespearean works. In 1994, th
Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau
took over the management and production of performances at Sand Harbor. The following year the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival was incorporated as an independent not-for-profit organization. In May of 1999, the not-for-profi
Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation
invited the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival to share space in th
Donald W. Reynolds Not-For-Profit Center
a center designed for the needs of not-for-profit and volunteer organizations in the North Lake Tahoe region. At a cost of nearly $2 million dollars, a state-of-the-art amphitheater called "Warren Edward Trepp Stage" was constructed and then was dedicated in the year 2000.

Educational outreach program

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival produces the "D.G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Programs," which are educational programs named to honor the legacy of founding Board member Geno Menchetti. These programs reach over 8,500 young people each year in the Tahoe region. In the summer, the festival presents "Young Shakespeare," an interactive adaptation for children of a Shakespeare play performed at Sand Harbor as well as other locations around

. During the academic school year, the festival provides an in-school residency in Shakespeare and the classics, "''InterACT,''" to schools throughout the region.

Other performances

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival has included performances by the

Reno Philharmonic Orchestra The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra (Reno Phil) is a professional symphony orchestra based in Reno, Nevada. Its season runs from late September through April. The current music director is Laura Jackson. History and organizational facts The orches ...

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

, Reno Jazz Orchestra, Pacific Mambo Orchestra and the Sierra Nevada Ballet.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official site
Lake Tahoe Shakespeare festivals in the United States Festivals in Nevada