Nebraska Shakespeare On Tour program details

SHAKESPEARE ON TOUR provides access to live professional Shakespeare

performance and educational activities to an average of 50 schools and 7,000 students
annually. Our Shakespeare On Tour program performs across Nebraska and Southwest
Iowa.

Reaching out to schools and communities of varying demographics, the program has
traveled to 205 communities in its history. The current venue roster (active within the
past three years) is over 100 communities; the tour travels to over 25% of these venues
annually and performs for many other venues once or twice every three years. The
venue roster has shown a consistent growth of eight to nine schools each year. In 2019,
that average was surpassed when SHAKESPEARE ON TOUR reached 20 new schools
(55 schools in total were served). For 2020, Nebraska Shakespeare is expanding the tour
from five to seven weeks in order to reach new communities while continuing to serve
the communities from past years; 23 of the 60 performances targeted for 2020 have
already been booked.

Consistent school engagement is paramount to the success of SHAKESPEARE ON

TOUR, year over year. To bridge the gap from one On Tour year to the next, the
Director of Education created a series of videos to be used by educators to supplement
their curriculum, before or after the On Tour visit. Educators were offered multiple
evaluation opportunities to reflect on their On Tour experience and make
recommendations for the following years. Booking information and open dates were
offered earlier to ensure that educators and administrators were in touch with Nebraska
Shakespeare every quarter, creating greater engagement over a longer period of time.
The strategy for reaching schools includes e-mail newsletters, school and community
mailings, visibility at the Nebraska Thespian Festival, International Thespian Festival,
and through Educator Newsletters.

SHAKESPEARE ON TOUR is committed to bringing Shakespeare’s work to the under-

served communities of Nebraska. Upwards of 30% of the schools booked each year are
located in rural communities-such as Callaway, Tekamah, Bassett, Southern Valley, and
Valentine—that previously never had the opportunity to see professional theatre.
Nebraska Shakespeare is also committed to reaching the underserved in Nebraska’s
larger cities. SHAKESPEARE ON TOUR regularly visits all the Omaha and Lincoln
high schools that qualify as Title I schools, as well as other schools across the state. In
Nebraska’s most populated city, Omaha, SHAKESPEARE ON TOUR travels to the top
ethnically-diverse high schools including Benson Magnet and Northwest Magnet, as
well as South High School whose student body is predominantly (80%) Hispanic. Using
tools provided by the Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska Shakespeare can
 Nebraska Shakespeare On Tour program details

identify and build relationships with schools that are ethnically-diverse as well as
geographically isolated.

One of the realities for Nebraska schools and districts is limited funding. In order to
serve the schools and communities with economic barriers, Nebraska Shakespeare takes
an individualized approach to pricing to account for a school’s specific financial
capacity. In addition, Nebraska Shakespeare cultivates relationships with town
councils, arts organizations, and donors who sponsor or subsidize performances for
those that may not be able to afford the program. In 2019, 47% of the students in the
schools served qualified for free or reduced lunch due to economic need, and 90% of
performances were provided at reduced cost. The Director of Education also meets
regularly with the Nebraska Arts Council to stay abreast of grants, procedures, and
opportunities available, and provides schools with grant awareness and assistance.