02/06/2021
Why Upstart Crow??
As an organization, Shakespeare in St. Anthony Park has found that, especially for our young participants, titles and labels are powerful. They can affirm a person’s potential and power, but they can also feel confining. Bearing this in mind, and with the goal of sending a clear message of inclusivity, Shakespeare in St. Anthony Park has changed their name to Upstart Crow Youth Shakespeare Troupe.
Why Upstart Crow? Because early in his career Shakespeare experienced the stigma of being publicly othered as an Upstart Crow. When he moved to London to pursue a career in theater he was as an uneducated outsider (born and raised in provincial Stratford-upon-Avon and having no university education). Robert Greene, an established London playwright, published a tract in which he ridiculed the young Shakespeare as an “Upstart Crowe, beautified with our feathers.” Fortunately, our fledgling playwright was able to rise above this marginalizing experience and reach far greater heights of expression than any other dramatist of his day.
We value Shakespeare scrappiness and audacity. We believe that no pedigree is required to perform for your community, to make deep and lasting connections with an audience. More than our actors age, experience, or zip code, it is the generosity and fearlessness with which they make connections that defines our organization—and the spirit of Shakespeare’s plays.
