Orlando Shakespeare Theater Collection

According to The UCF Report May 15, 1998 issue, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival has its beginnings in 1974 when UCF English professor, Dr. Stuart Omans offered his students a chance to get out of writing term papers if they participated in reading scenes from Shakespeare to area junior and senior high schools. Though the group had missteps, they committed themselves to learning dialogue, practicing scenes and taking the show out of the classroom.

The Future October 24, 1975 issue explains how following the success of their performances the group was invited to perform throughout Florida and Georgia. This dedication brought upon the group's decision to attempt to increase their audience. With the guidance of Omans, the students wrote a grant proposal to the FTU Student Government to seek funding for their "Simply Shakespeare" company. FTU allocated nearly $3,000 to the group who referred to themselves as ambassadors of the community and area schools. This troupe would be Central Florida's first Shakespearean troupe.

Both the FTU News, March 14, 1979 issue and The Future issue from March 30, 1979 reported that a grant of $77,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Fine Arts was given towards Omans, UCF Music professor Bruce Whisler, and UCF English professor Gerald Schiffhorst. The trio's objective was to create a Summer Institute to give Central Florida school teachers upgraded skills to teach Shakespeare through performance in English, Drama, and Humanities. Along with the funding, the Simply Shakespeare Troupe performances helped support the Summer Institute, charities and their own performances.

On December 18, 1998 the UCF Report published an interview with Omans discussing the establishment of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival. According to Omans, in 1987 he decided to create and support a professional classical theater through the Project for the Humanities and Fine Arts. With the support from then Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick and then UCF President Trevor Colbourn, Omans announced the establishment of the Orlando Shakespeare Festival in 1988. The inaugural season in 1989 brought to life the tales of Taming of the Shrew and Tempest.

According to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater Inc. Report, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival held their first performances at the Walt Disney Amphitheater of Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. In 1995 the group opened their performances up to non-Shakespeare plays and began staging plays in rented places throughout the area. The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival is now based out of the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center and performs out of Margeson and Goldman Theaters as well.

Following the success of the Orlando-UCF Festival, Dr. Omans wanted to create a program tailored towards education and academic support of the next generation of actors, actresses, and theater enthusiasts. This program would become known as The Young Company. For the past twenty-six years, local high school students have auditioned, rehearsed and performed one play a year during the months of April through July.

The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival has continued the legacy started by Omans and his students, while also growing into a nationally recognized theater and the only professional classical theater company in Central Florida. In 2007 the name was officially changed to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (OST) to better reflect their year round activities which include performing seven Signature Series productions, three Children's Series productions, being part of a weekend festival of new plays titled PlayFest, annual summer camps, classes, workshops, and offering internships and independent studies for UCF Theater majors and alumni.