The stage plays of William Shakespeare have proven so irresistible that, every year all over the globe, over a thousand productions of his works take place, even 400 years after his death.
Perhaps that helps explain why Marin Shakespeare Company — after 37 years as the North Bay’s premiere summertime Shakespeare company — is just so darn good at putting on a show. Not only do they have great material to work with, they’ve had a lot of experience learning how to delight their audiences.
As it turns out, the company that, this very year, placed large, eye-popping puppets on a magical island for “The Tempest” — after first pushing “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” into a furiously fantastical future — is just as skilled at stagecraft as it is at throwing a fundraiser that defies expectation and tugs at the heartstrings, yet never fails to entertain.
Consider the illuminating title of the company’s upcoming benefit gala on Dec. 7. According to Artistic Director Jon Tracy, the event’s title, and also its theme, “The Light We See,” comes from “The Merchant of Venice,” describing how far a small candle throws its beams across a dark room. In this case, that metaphorical darkness is the worrisome state of public funding for the arts (among other things), while the candle, obviously enough, is the age-old art of theatrical performance.
“Everyone knows the financial struggle arts organizations are facing,” Tracy said, “but the deeper challenge — the one we’re leaning into — is how we respond to a world that feels increasingly divided. Our gala invites people to experience the role art plays in asking hard questions, while still finding joy in the complexity of being human. We’re exploring celebration as a revolutionary act, and I think folks will be surprised by both the honesty we bring and the joy we ignite.”
“The Light We See” will begin at 5:30 p.m. inside the atrium at the company’s Fourth Street theater, which the nonprofit opened three years ago as a supporting performance space to its Forest Meadows Amphitheatre at Dominican University of California. Following a reception featuring Frey Vineyards wines and snacks, the centerpiece of the night will be a sit-down show filled with performances by company favorites. It will be followed by the announcement of Marin Shakespeare Company’s 2026 lineup.
To that part of the evening, Tracy said that the 2026 season is easily the company’s most ambitious to date. Rumors are that a mind-bending adaptation that premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival will be one of the shows announced. There could even be a Tracy-envisioned return to one of Shakespeare’s most enduringly vital tragedies.
And maybe a beloved musical based on one of the greatest works of English literature? Tracy’s not saying.
“I can’t reveal titles yet, but when we say ‘our most ambitious season yet,’ we mean it,” he said. “Traditionally, we offer two outdoor Shakespeare productions and the occasional indoor event. This year we’ve built a full slate of six — two outdoor shows, two indoor productions, and two festival programs that carry audiences through a full year of storytelling. Together, they take on immigration, queer joy, political violence, accessibility — the very human terrain Shakespeare himself dug into.”
In discussing the significance of Marin Shakespeare Company and why community support across the Bay Area is so important, Tracy frequently uses the phrase, “Theater that matters.”
According to Tracy, it’s a phrase that annual supporters, from Sonoma County to San Francisco, are also beginning to use in describing their appreciation for Marin Shakespeare Company.
“For us, ‘theater that matters’ means work that’s alive to the world we’re living in,” he said. “It asks real questions about who we are, where we’re hurting and where we might heal — but it also insists on joy, imagination and wonder. At Marin Shakes, theater that matters is built with intention — equity woven into the process, world-majority storytellers shaping the vision, and a belief that gathering together to witness a story can change how we see ourselves and each other.”
In addition to the dramatic presentation of next year’s season of productions, Tracy said that ticket holders to the gala will enjoy performances by the internationally acclaimed poet, singer and performance artist Lady Zen and the world-renowned monologist Josh Kornbluth (“Red Diaper Baby,” “Haiku Tunnel,” “Mathematics of Change”).
“And,” Tracy added, “just a few extra surprises.”
In reference to either “The Light We See” the gala or the light we all collectively see from theater, music and art (and probably all of those), Tracy concluded, “If a production doesn’t move something in us — individually or collectively — then it isn’t doing its job.”
Tickets for “The Light We See,” taking place at 514 Fourth St. in San Rafael on Dec. 7, are $105.99. Tickets are available at MarinShakespeare.org.
