Chicago Shakespeare Theater Education Programming

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Education Programs include daytime matinee performances, after-school programs like Chicago Shakespeare SLAM, and professional development opportunities for teachers such as the year-long Bard Core intensive for Chicago Public Schools educators. Learners of all ages can also take part in PreAmble talks and post-show discussions connected to performances. The programs also include free offerings like Shakes in the City, which brings performances and workshops to parks, festivals, and shared community spaces across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

• Price: $30 under 30 discounted ticket program for young adults and students

For nearly four decades, Chicago Shakespeare Theater has distinguished itself with a spirit of innovation, dynamism, and ambitious vision. The organization’s mission is to create vivid, entertaining theatrical experiences that invigorate and engage people of all ages and identities by illuminating the complexity, ambiguity, and wonder of the world. Serving more students and teachers than any theater in the city, Chicago Shakespeare Theater annually welcomes more than 20,000 high school and middle school students to attend over 50 daytime matinee performances and participate in after-school programs. Its initiatives support the development of young people’s social-emotional competencies, critical literacy, and meaningful collaboration, and learners of all ages deepen their engagement through PreAmble talks and post-show discussions.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater is led by Artistic Director Edward Hall and Executive Director Kimberly Motes. It is the nation’s largest year-round theater dedicated to the works of Shakespeare, a leading international theater company, and Chicago’s foremost presenter of international theater, and it consistently produces North American and world premieres. The theater is a Regional Tony Award recipient, and its productions have garnered three Tony Awards, three Olivier Awards, and two Grammy nominations. As a cultural anchor of Navy Pier, it offers three best-in-class venues: The Yard, the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater, and the Carl and Marilynn Thoma Upstairs Studio. The $30 under 30 discounted ticket program for young adults and students reduces barriers to participation for thousands of first-time attendees.

Last updated April 18, 2026.