2025 NEW SWAN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL SEASON
Much Ado About Nothing
by William Shakespeare
directed by Eli Simon
Set in the Wild Wild West, this Shakespearean masterpiece features dazzling word play, a posse of memorable characters, and a live bluegrass band.
All’s Well That Ends Well
by William Shakespeare
directed by Rob Salas
This singular tale of true love and courage brims with a timeless spirit of adventure, framed in the vibrant setting of the Romantic era.
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
by William Shakespeare
directed by Eli Simon
The Segerstrom Foundation, Show Producer
The Bard’s comic masterpiece Twelfth Night blends romance, music, poetry, swordplay, mistaken identities and the intoxicating madness of love. Join us for a transcendent tale on the edge of the high seas.
July | 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28
August | 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 29, 31
Measure for Measure
by William Shakespeare
directed by Beth Lopes
All seven of the deadly sins are running rampant in Vienna. Can Isabella, a would-be nun, navigate this corruption without losing her soul in the process? Don’t miss your chance to see one of Shakespeare’s most challenging and rarely performed plays.
July | 9, 11, 13, 18, 21, 24, 27, 31
August | 2, 8, 11, 14, 17, 23, 25, 28, 30
Thank you to our 2024 season producers for their continued support
RECENT NEW SWAN EVENTS
Don Quixote de La Mancha
by Guillén de Castro
translated by Diversifying the Classics
A dramatized reading of theclassic epic tale, directed by Jesús López and Eden Aztlán, our comedy celebrates bridge-building between cultures and the rich history of the Spanish golden age of theater.
UC Shakespeare Trial
directed by Eli Simon & Julia Lupton.
Our yearly trial features New Swan actors directed by Beth Lopes as your favorite characters from the Shakespeare canon, acting out scenes and battling in court.
Wherein I See Myself
An original New Swan film exploring monologues from Shakespeare’s plays, featuring a cast of Black UCI students and alumni. Plus a conversation with director Wayne T. Carr and actors Maya Smoot and Tristan Turner.
WATCH NOW: HISTORY OF NEW SWAN
“Admit me Chorus to this history;
Who prologue-like your humble patience pray,
Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our plays.”
– Chorus, Henry V
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players:
they have their exits and their entrances;
and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”
Seminars &
Education
- Seminar Series
- High School Visits & Workshops
- Artist Shadowing Program
- Summer Apprenticeship Program
- Community Conversations
- Shakespeare Weekend
- Friday Folios Series
Load-In Video
- 16-ton movable, 130 seat, mini-Elizabethan theater.
- Every seat is very close to the action.
- Winner of Arts Orange County Award 2013: Outstanding Contribution to the Built Environment.
Diversity
Statement
At New Swan, our productions include people with a variance of backgrounds and experiences, celebrating each individual both on stage and off. We allow our differences to affect our productions, manifesting richer and deeper stories. Theater without diversity is meaningless, and diversity without equity is an empty promise.
Join &
Support
- Early Ticket Purchase and many more benefits
- Name a Seat
- Sponsor an Actor
- Become an Honorary Producer
Diversity
Statement
At New Swan, our productions include people with a variance of backgrounds and experiences, celebrating each individual both on stage and off. We allow our differences to affect our productions, manifesting richer and deeper stories. Theater without diversity is meaningless, and diversity without equity is an empty promise.
in collaboration with
New Swan Shakespeare Festival is hosted and produced in collaboration with the Drama Department at the University of California at Irvine, the Office of Research, the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, and the School of Humanities.
