MISSION STATEMENT

The Nittany Valley Shakespeare Festival is a collaborative ensemble with a vital mission: To use the power of the spoken word to communicate the great stories of the theater in accessible productions that are both theatrically innovative and faithful to the text.

Primarily the Nittany Valley Shakespeare Festival (NVSF), as an organization, presents live theatre performances to the public of the Centre Region and beyond. This is achieved by volunteers connected to various disciplines related to theatre, performance, literature and other arts and foci. At the present time we present all outdoor summer performances free of charge, focus our repetoire on Shakespeare and attempt to present our shows in various locations in order to make them accessible to our community and to create all inclusive experiences of theatre.

This primary facet is also the main vehicle for the second (but not secondary) focus of the organization - education. Through the presentation of classic works we provide a learning experience for viewers, both through the presentation itself and pre- or post-show discussions, for performers through the research and discussions necessary to perform these works, and to students through master classes and our Camp Bill theatre workshop.

The performances, camps, classes, workshops and discussions are all intended to act as a gateway for participants to many things: an initial interest, greater appreciation for, or lifetime love of literature, art, learning, performance, nature or community are all the goals of the NVSF. We welcome all those that would like to try and achieve them or instill them in others.