WHO WE ARE
We are multi-hat wearing artists, passionate about reimagining what is possible within a theatre company and industry structures. As we continue to develop sustainable infrastructure, we are proud to be a nimble and dynamic team, with a growing network of likeminded collaborators across all disciplines.
KATHARINE
MANESS
Founder, Producing Artistic Director
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ROBERTO DI DONATO
Collaborating Producer
TEAM
FREQUENT COHORTS
STAFF
KATHARINE MANESS (THEY/THEM)
FOUNDER, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Katharine is a non-binary, queer, Jewish theatre artist from the unceded territories of the Abenaki and Mohican nations now known as Pawlet, Vermont. They have performed and produced work in NYC and VT, and adapted a learn through doing approach to arts administration, first self-producing work with an invite only, limited run of Lesley Headland's Bachelorette. Katharine gained further producing experience on a variety of projects for the stage and screen, including the short experimental comedy heist film Van Money, which was filmed in Southern VT. In late 2017, Katharine began the work of realizing the ambitious goal of establishing a subversive Shakespeare company out in the woods of their hometown area of VT - leading to the founding of Shakespeare in the Woods in 2019.
They are a graduate of The William Esper Studio's Full Time Acting Program, having studied with David Newer, Nancy Mayans, and with Bill Esper in the studio’s invite-only alumni Shakespeare Intensive. Katharine was also part of Red Bull Theater’s Shakespeare Intensive Master Class, led by Louisa Proske, Chukwudi Iwuji, and Peter Francis James.
ROBERTO DI DONATO (HE/THEY/EL/ELLE)
COLLABORATING PRODUCER
Roberto is a Venezuelan-Italian artist from the territories that were originally known as home for the Tawakoni and Wichitah nations near Dallas, TX. He has worked with Shakespeare in the Woods directing THE TEMPEST and TWELFTH NIGHT. Roberto is the director of A Perfect Day Away by Klae Bainter which has performed at the Seabury Quinn Jr. Festival, convergence-continuum theatre in Cleveland, OH, and Cincinnati Fringe Festival. They serve on the Board of Directors for Salvage Vanguard Theater, which has been pushing the boundary of experimental performance since 1994. Roberto has a translation of Nobel Laureate, Luigi Pirandello, in contract with Perry Street Theatricals, NYC.
Notable accolades: Published "For a long time, it's been brewing" in Periodical Poetry (Issue 14); Experiential Learning Grant Awardee for the founding of Fringe Festival at Ohio University; Assistant to Technical Director: Fusebox Festival; Co-Producer and Associate Artistic Director: Frank Wo/Men Collective Named Best of Austin, 2019; Awardee Excellence in Leadership 2022 for Masters Level at Ohio University.
Roberto is a UT Austin alumnus and holds a Masters of Fine Arts as well as a Master of Arts Administration from Ohio University.