For 26 years the Southwest Shakespeare Company has been the standard-bearer for classical theatre in Arizona. Founded on a Mission to educate, elevate, entertain, and inspire the communities of the Southwest, SSC has transformed itself from a small, inspired company of local artists/educators into a theatrical institution of the American Southwest.

In its quarter-century SSC has expanded the classical audience in the Phoenix area beyond its home in Mesa to the communities and venues of Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix-proper, Peoria and more. In recent years SSC has even brought the larger world of the theatre to Arizona, hosting and presenting classical, literary-themed productions from across the country and around the world; from the Harlem Shakespeare Festival to the Fringe Festivals of Los Angeles and London, England.

SSC is now, and always has been, a company guided by the theatrical vision of William Shakespeare: utilizing simple theatricality to cultivate audience imagination and participation in the fundamental human act of storytelling. These original principles are the reason for our formation, the blueprint for our future, and the story of our history.