MISSION
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the State’s theater, builds community by engaging, entertaining, and inspiring people with transformative theatrical performances and compelling educational and community programs.
VISION
As the region’s most valued arts leader and community resource, we will strive to build upon our reputation for artistic excellence, broaden our reach throughout the state and beyond, and expand public participation and support.
VALUES
The following core values support our Mission and Vision as guiding principles that help shape ASF’s programmatic and financial choices. They will be at the center of every decision we make.
Heritage
Anchored by the struggles, joy, and wonder that define the works of Shakespeare, we present plays, musicals, and family programs that speak to the richness of human experience and, often, to the uniqueness of our region—a place born of close family ties, at times torn by social strife, but always reaching for reconciliation and renewal.
Excellence
We will maintain the highest standard of quality throughout every aspect of our organization. We will sustain a nurturing, supportive, and creative work environment that attracts artists, staff, and community leaders who are committed to excellence in all their endeavors.
Community
Art and culture are essential to a healthy society and ASF will consistently work to serve as a cultural conduit for community interaction. We will offer programs and services that are inclusive of our diverse community and will continuously seek to increase the benefits of those programs in ways that engage and inspire audiences, artists, staff, and the public.
Accessibility
We will consistently work to be increasingly accessible to the community as a gathering place where all are welcome to explore our theaters, our campus, and their idyllic park setting.
Life-long Learning
We believe that theatre and arts education provide unique avenues for personal and collective discovery, and we will consistently provide programming that serves audiences and students of all ages.
Stewardship
We will be reliable stewards of the resources that are provided to us. We will continuously build financial and organizational vitality by applying and maintaining the highest standards in our governance, management, and operational practices.
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
We believe that the path to a better future begins with acknowledging and evaluating the past. On its stages, ASF tells engaging, entertaining, and inspiring stories of our personal and collective human condition, past and present. With mindful intention and building on our other values, ASF commits to advancing and representing equity, diversity, and inclusion in every facet of our theatre from workshops, rehearsal halls, and stages to the administration, Board, and audiences.
ABOUT ASF
From its founding in a high school auditorium in Anniston in 1972 to its designation as the State Theatre of Alabama in 1977 to the stunning $21.5 million performing arts complex in Montgomery (built in 1985), ASF has been a leader in the performing arts throughout the state, region, and country. As a beloved Alabama arts institution, ASF broadens the cultural identity of the South by producing classics, Shakespeare, contemporary plays, musicals, theatre for young audiences, and exciting new works. Since its inception, ASF has provided education programs to more than one million students; annually, SchoolFest, a student-matinee program, presents high-quality theatrical experiences to nearly 35,000 students.