Faces of Theatre Bay Area:
Lesley and Robert Currier by / Theatre Bay Area Staff

The Faces of Theatre Bay Area celebration on March 4, 2013 will honor members of our artistic community whose work exemplifies Theatre Bay Area’s mission: to unite, promote and advance Bay Area theatre and dance.

Click HERE to purchase tickets - Quantities are limited!


Today’s Faces of Theatre Bay Area honorees: Lesley Currier, managing director, and Robert Currier, artistic director, Marin Shakespeare Company.


Who are you? Can you give some background on how you got to where you are today?

We're Lesley and Robert Currier. We started Marin Shakespeare Company in 1989 as a revival of the Marin Shakespeare Festival, which had been extinct for 17 years. The Forest Meadows Amphitheatre, California's first purpose-built Shakespeare theatre, remains a magical place to enjoy outdoor theatre on summer nights. From one play in the summer of 1990, Marin Shakespeare has grown into a vibrant year-round arts organization that produces three professional productions each summer, and provides theatre education for thousands of students each year. Shakespeare summer camps for children as young as five years old, acting and tech theatre summer intern programs, creative dramatics in public schools, the Teen Touring Company, and Shakespeare at San Quentin all provide opportunities for learning and exploration of theatre and Shakespeare.

Tell us about your involvement with Theatre Bay Area, and how you would describe Theatre Bay Area's role in our community.

The San Francisco Bay Area is extremely fortunate to have an engaged and energetic service organization for our many theatre companies. We read the magazine religiously; use the website to post audition calls and job opportunities; search the Talent Bank; attend regional auditions, annual meetings, and other convenings and mentor ATLAS participants. We love that the Lemonade Fund has provided great assistance for several of our colleagues in need. Lately, Theatre Bay Area has been leading the country in research and development of programs like the Big List and “Counting New Beans.” Yay for TBA! Lesley is proud to have served on the Theatre Services Committee for six years. Theatre Bay Area has given us a multitude of ways to connect with and learn from our peers.

Why is theatre important? What do you see as your role in making theatre a vital part of the national cultural conversation?

Storytelling and theatre are two of the most ancient means for examining, exploring and celebrating what it means to be human. We are proud to have created opportunities for hundreds of theatre artists to work in a supportive environment to pursue their crafts—and to use their skills to explore the bottomlessness of Shakespeare's genius. Over a quarter million people have seen our productions. Tens of thousands of students have grown through studying and performing Shakespeare.

Nowhere is our work as obviously impactful as in our Shakespeare at San Quentin Program, now in its tenth year. The combination of theatre, drama therapy, Shakespeare, and autobiographical writing and performance with deeply troubled men proves the power of theatre and Shakespeare to spur reflection, revelation, learning and healing. When a man serving a life sentence for murder plays the role of Claudius in “Hamlet” and then writes about whether a murderer can find forgiveness, you know Shakespeare is making a difference!

What aspects of the Bay Area theatre community make you proud to be a member?

The Bay Area has always been the most supportive, friendly and cooperative theatre community we know, brimming with talent, intelligence and over-the-top creativity; we love our theatre world. Over the years, we've seen the creation of African-American Shakespeare, Women's Will, dozens of highly creative Shakespeare interpretations at places like Cutting Ball and CentralWorks, Shakespeare in parks and vineyards, Shakespeare in small rooms and large amphitheatres. The variety and passion are truly in the spirit of the Bay Area, which we are fortunate to call our home.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Thanks to Theatre Bay Area for being a great organization!


Theatre Bay Area invites you to join us for the Faces of Theatre Bay Area celebration on March 4, 2013, at the new home of the SF Playhouse (450 Post Street, San Francisco)! For more information, visit theatrebayarea.org/Faces.

Click HERE to purchase tickets - Quantities are limited!