Los Angeles
Shakespeare Company

About Us

Our Goal: To develop a world-class Shakespeare Company, on a par with major Shakespeare Companies around the world.

We will produce all of Shakespeare's plays in five years, and subscribers will see all of Shakespeare's English Histories in the order of History within our first five summer festivals!!!

We are in the exciting startup phase of developing a larger audience and creating an educational outreach program. You can help with a contribution that you can afford. You may be thinking that... (click to cont.)

Globe Theater

Geoffrey Forward founded the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company in 1992 and produced a series of plays. In 1997, Mr. Forward and his wife, Elisabeth Howard, purchased an undeveloped commercial piece of property in Topanga Canyon and began arduous task of building a 99 seat theater to house the Company.

It took seven and a half years to obtain permits and another 3 years to build the theater. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky sponsored an amendment to the zoning code to allow a 99 seat amphitheater. Construction began in the Fall of 2004. Over the years, the cost of building the theater more than doubled.

Mr. And Mrs. Forward financed the building project by re-mortgaging their house four times to finish construction.

Twice the Company rehearsed plays in anticipation of opening, but had to cancel because of Building and Safety delays. The theater finally opened as the Globe in Topanga, on September 15, 2007, with two shows, "Twelfth Night" and "The Fantasticks."

The Globe Theater in Topanga is situated midway between the Pacific Ocean and the San Fernando Valley, on a little more than one acre, with fifteen magnificent oak trees and a stream running through. The 99 seat amphitheater has a stage the same size as Shakespeare's Globe stage, with three rows of audience seating under four oaks. Overlooking the amphitheater, is the two-story, Tudor style building, the facade based on Shakespeare's birthplace, housing a 50 seat theater on the second floor, approximately the same size as Shakespeare's Blackfriars theater. With an entrance from Topanga Canyon Blvd. and canopied by oak trees, the driveway winds down the hill past the building and over a little bridge to the 33 car parking area.