Since its establishment in 1972, Shakespeare Dallas (shakespearedallas.org) has been a pillar of the arts community applauded for its fun and accessible theatrical productions of the Bard’s greatest works, not to mention fun-filled summer camps and thought-provoking book clubs. In celebration of the lauded institution’s 50th anniversary, we’ve taken a look back at the theater’s history, by the numbers.
Shakespeare Dallas’ hilarious 2002 production of The Taming of the Shrew
600,000
During its decades of performances, the theater has entertained more than 600,000 audience members.
50
The number of years that Shakespeare Dallas has been providing quality theater in Dallas
20
Raphael Parry has received 20 awards throughout his esteemed career, including the Leon Rabin Award and the Dallas Theatre League Standing Ovation Award.
4,000
The theater has provided jobs to over 4,000 talented artists.
3
The number of productions celebrating the anniversary this summer—The Tempest, Hamlet and, of course, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
133
The number of showstopping productions put on by the prolific company
2002
The year the illustrious Raphael Parry joined the company, later assuming his current role as executive and artistic director
thirty-five
Raphael Parry oversees all productions and has directed and performed in over 35 plays for the company, including The Merry Wives of Windsor, King Lear and Tartuffe.
six thousand
More than 6,000 unique costumes have been worn by actors at Shakespeare Dallas, most notably Morgan Freeman and Sigourney Weaver.
$5,000
The minimum donation to be a member of the exclusive Good Will Society, which offers perks like invitations to dress rehearsals, backstage tours and lunch with executive and artistic director Raphael Parry
Photography by: SUSAN KANDELL