Friends Section Chairs on the Common

Friends Section Chairs

Reservations for 2024 Have Concluded. Check Back in Spring 2025 for Next Year’s Shakespeare on the Common.

ABOUT THE FRIENDS SECTION

Every summer since 1996, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company has provided Free Shakespeare on the Common, welcoming over 1 million people to our productions over the past 28 years. Producing this beloved Boston summer tradition is made possible by the support of our generous donors! While all of our performances are free and open to the public, we reserve a small section of beach chairs in a premium location as a thank you to supporters who contribute to our Friends Fund, whose generosity allows us to keep our production free and accessible to all. Thank you in advance for your contribution!

  • Friends Seats can be reserved with a donation of $100 per seat to our Friends Fund, which supports Shakespeare on the Common.
  • Please select your desired performance date at the time you make your donation to the Friends Fund.
  • Seating in the Friends Section is assigned, and you will have the opportunity to select your seat at the time that you make your donation. For information about special accommodations including tall chairs, see below.
  • Exchanges to the performance you are attending are subject to availability and should be requested no later than 48 hours in advance of the performance you would like to attend/exchange out of (whichever comes first).
  • Please be aware that the section immediately in front of the stage, in front of the first row of Friends Seats, is kept available for blanket seating. 
  • Captioning screens are located on either side of the stage, and those who’d like to utilize them should keep this in mind when reserving their seats.

All donations are non-refundable.

PROSPERO SOCIETY

CSC’s Prospero Society is composed of CSC’s most dedicated and enthusiastic donors, who support the organization with a gift of $1,000 or more. In addition to exclusive events with CSC artists and other benefits, CSC’s Prospero Society members receive complimentary Friends Section seats, with the number of seats on a sliding scale according to annual donation level.

  • Prospero Society donors, of $1,000 – $2,499: 2 complimentary Friends seats
  • Titania Tier donors, of $2,500 – $4,999: 4 complimentary Friends seats
  • Falstaff Fund donors, of $5,000 – $9,999: 6 complimentary Friends seats
  • Hamlet Circle donors, of $10,000+: 10 complimentary Friends seats

For more information and to join, visit our Prospero Society and Donor Societies page.  

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

  • CSC strives to provide a welcoming experience to all who attend our event. Please email audienceservices@commshakes.org for information.
  • Tall Chairs: our Friends Section consists of low beach chairs pre-set in front of the stage. We have a limited number of taller chairs (the height of a typical camping chair) for patrons who may not be comfortable in our low beach chairs. To reserve tall chairs, please look for the section to the bottom right of the seating chart.    

WEATHER

We make every effort to perform even in the case of inclement weather. However, we will cancel performances due to weather on the rare occasion the safety of our audiences, staff, and artists is of immediate concern. In the event of a canceled performance, we will honor your reservation at another performance. If you have any weather-related questions, you can email us at audienceservices@commshakes.org.

QUESTIONS? 


Featured Photo: Allegra Libonati, director of Romeo & Juliet in the Friends Section, 2017.

Support for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Provided by

Join our E-Newsletter!

Get the latest CSC News, directly to your inbox. From discounts and production announcements to educational opportunities and partnerships.