It was on the edge of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan in India, that I first heard the words of Shakespeare. I was an undergraduate engineering student and along with maybe 100 other college kids watched as my peers performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Not one person that night, not the actors, not a single member of the audience, could claim English as their first or second or sometimes, even third language. 99% of us had never seen or spoken to a person from a country other than India. Yet we watched in silence, occasionally bursting into laughter, mesmerized by language and a story, simultaneously foreign and yet so deeply universal in its humor and relationships. And after it was done, we went to have chai and discuss for hours the chaotic enthusiasm of Puck, the rejection of patriarchal authority by Hermia, and that Shakespeare incorporated India into his tale, albeit with reference to the kidnapping of an Indian prince. 

An immigrant from India being the President of the Board of a Shakespeare theatre company is, I am sure, unexpected, but something that I hope reinforces the truth that Shakespeare's works are not only part of western culture, but are an intrinsic piece of our shared world heritage.

I hope you will help ensure it stays that way by donating to this fundraiser.

Seattle Shakespeare is a professional, all-classical, year-round theatre company that reaches across barriers of income, geography, and education to bring classical theatre to life for everyone in Washington State. Whether you're in a seat at the Center Theatre or on the grass at Luther Burbank Park or in a school auditorium in Wenatchee, you are part of Seattle Shakespeare.

Bill's Bash is Seattle Shakespeare Company's annual fundraiser, all online for the second year! Celebrate theatre and help me welcome new audiences, new students, new artists into this work by making a gift today, and by spreading the word. You'll keep these classic works alive in schools, communities, and on stage, for today and for the future!