Royal Shakespeare Company

Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), a British repertory theater. The company, established in 1960, was based on the earlier Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-on-Avon. It is a national theater supported by government funds. The RSC, under a 2002 reorganization, is based in Stratford, where it operates several venues and an academy for the training of classical actors; it also sponsors a variable number of small acting companies, which present Shakespearean and modern plays in Stratford, London, and other locations. From 1982 to 2002 the RSC was based also at the Barbican Theatre, London, and at the Aldwych Theatre prior (1960–82) to that. In London the RSC has mounted such plays as Ondine, Becket, Marat/Sade, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. Artistic directors and codirectors have included Peter Hall (1960–68), Trevor Nunn (1968–86), Terry Hands (1978–91), Adrian Noble (1991–2003), and Michael Boyd (2003–).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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