Story Circles have enriched our productions by deepening our engagement with community partners and allowing our cast and creative team to share stories and listen to people whose lives intersect with the characters onstage and are whose lives are most impacted by the issues onstage.

Story Circles are an integral part of our productions, inviting different communities to break bread together and share stories with the playwrights, actors and creative team. We gather community members directly impacted by issues central to a Cal Shakes production to explore the play’s resonance within their own lives and have open exchange with the production’s creative team. Within these spaces of storytelling, listening, and inquiry, connections among community members deepen and insights surface that our professional artists use to strengthen the artistry and social impact of their work.