For more than 30 years, Mesa-based Southwest Shakespeare Company has been Arizona’s standard‑bearer for classical theater. 

But artistic director Keath Hall doesn’t just attribute the company’s longevity to tradition. Its popularity is rooted in reinvention and education.

“At Southwest Shakespeare Company, we like to take something old that people don’t think is very relevant anymore, dust it off and make it kind of fun and exciting, so that people can connect to it,” Hall said.

The Southwest Shakespeare Company, which performs at the Mesa Arts Center’s theaters, pairs classical pieces with contemporary imagination.

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‘Richard III’

Kicking off the season is “Richard III,” which runs through Oct. 24 at the Nesbitt/Elliott Playhouse. In it, a ruthless political schemer weasels his way to the English throne. His downward spiral makes it a psychological drama and political thriller.

 “Richard III” is draped in period costumes, battles and historical pageantry. Hall said, however, that director Beau Heckman added the vibes of Bela Lugosi’s “Dracula” and Boris Karloff’s “Frankenstein” to the set. 

“Different shows have different slants,” Hall said. “We’re starting off with ‘Richard III.’ We haven’t done a really nice classically set version of ‘Richard III’ in a little while.

“But we also make it fun. Our director has taken a monster-movie slant on it because ‘Richard III’ is Shakespeare’s most evil character. He’s described in the play as having a hunchback. Sometimes people give him a disfigured face.”

‘Whispers in the Dark: Stories by Edgar Allan Poe’

“Whispers in the Dark: Stories by Edgar Allan Poe” — on Oct. 25 at Nesbitt-Elliott Playhouse — is a theatrical take on his macabre imagination. Stories such as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado” unfold through immersive staging and soundscapes. 

“Students and people who love Poe can come watch the stories performed live,” he said. “They can connect with them in a way that is a little different.”

‘Amadeus’

Next up, Stray Cat Theatre founding artistic director Ron May helms “Amadeus” from Nov. 14 to Nov. 29 at the Anita Cox-Farnsworth Studio Theater. 

“He’s a very avant-garde, fun director around town,” Hall said of May. 

In “Amadeus,” aging composer Salieri recalls his obsession with Mozart, whose “divine musical genius torments him despite Mozart’s childish behavior.” 

“‘Amadeus’ will be edgy. It’ll be different.”

‘Julius Caesar’

From Feb. 13 to Feb. 28 at the Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater, Hall directs “Julius Caesar,” inspired by Akira Kurosawa and Quentin Tarantino. 

“We’re doing a ‘Kill Bill’ / ‘Throne of Blood’-style ‘Julius Caesar,’ which I think is fun because it makes it more hip and more exciting to students,” he said. 

“They don’t always connect to the history of it, but it engages them in another way: It gets them to connect with cinema, directors and people’s different interpretations of how these plays can be done.”

‘The Comedy of Errors’

Shakespeare’s shortest play, “The Comedy of Errors,” runs Feb. 20 to Feb. 27 at the Virginia G. Piper Repertory Theater. 

“The Comedy of Errors” tells the story of two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, who accidentally reunite in the same city. 

“It’s a very slapstick-ish, vaudevillian version of ‘Comedy of Errors,’” he said. “We have a lot of fun bits and physical comedy.”

The production is Southwest Shakespeare Company’s 2026-27 educational tour, visiting schools across Arizona.

“Our goal is to get as many students in to see theater and experience the classics as we can,” Hall said. 

“This is not going to help them only with things like literacy and the ability to function as a human, but it helps them socially and emotionally connect with different things.” 

Workshops, residencies and teacher support programs reach students statewide. 

“Sometimes their resources are cut, or maybe they don’t have as much access anymore,” Hall said. “So, we send actors and technicians into schools. It’s not flashy, but it’s super important.”

The shows are connecting with students. In his second year leading the company, Hall said his most memorable moments aren’t necessarily production highlights. He recalled walking out of “The Secret Garden” and overhearing two students say they wanted to read the book. 

“It was unprompted,” he recalled. “They said it on their own. That was my aha moment, knowing we inspired someone to read more.”

‘Tartuffe’

The season closes with “Tartuffe,” Molière’s wicked satire of hypocrisy and blind devotion, at the Anita Cox-Farnsworth Studio Theater. 

In “Tartuffe,” the wealthy Orgon is dangerously devoted to Tartuffe, a hypocritical religious fraud. Hall called it “very silly, very naughty.” 

“It’s more of an adult show — but no nudity or anything like that. The themes are sexual and fun. When we approach our season, we try to put something in there for everybody.” 

That’s the heart of Southwest Shakespeare: not just performing classics, but sparking curiosity. 

“We’re here to help broaden the community, help diversify what people are looking at,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun.”