Seattle Culture
Prominent Seattle Arts Organizations Seal Merger
ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Co. began discussing the proposal last spring
By Rob Smith January 30, 2025
Eight months after first floating the proposal, two Seattle arts heavyweights have announced plans to merge.
ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Co. will officially join forces July 1. ACT’s downtown Seattle space at 700 Union St. will become home for Seattle Shakespeare productions. Seattle Shakespeare Executive Director John Bradshaw will become managing director of the merged company.
“Merging the legacies of these two extraordinary theatres will create more opportunities for artists and ensure quality productions of both classic and contemporary plays at Seventh and Union in Seattle for years to come,” says ACT Board of Trustees Chair Cynthia Huffman. “We are grateful for the deep analysis and thoughtful collaboration of the staff and boards that resulted in the recommendation to merge.”
The organizations first began exploring a merger last June, noting that a merger would help revitalize downtown Seattle and bolster the region’s nationally respected arts scene. The inaugural 2025/26 season of the merged theatres will be announced in April. The first production involving both organizations is William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, opening in ACT’s Falls Theatre on June 7.
ACT was founded by Gregory A. Falls in 1965. It has produced more than 300 plays and musicals, including 47 world premieres. Seattle Shakespeare Co. was founded in 1991.
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