“Methinks I shall swipe right.” Star-crossed lovers with read receipts? Mistaken identities fueled by DMs? Soliloquies that sound suspiciously like late-night voice notes? 

ShakesDATE is Silicon Valley Shakespeare’s whirlwind 48-hour Play Festival, where classic Shakespearean characters meet modern dating disasters. In just two days, bold theatre artists race the clock to create brand-new short plays inspired by Shakespeare’s timeless obsessions like love, lust, jealousy, missed connections, all filtered through the chaos of dating apps, ghosting, situationships, and first-date fantasies.

Fast, funny, and fearless, ShakesDATE celebrates the thrill of creative risk and the universal awkwardness of trying to connect. Whether you’re a Shakespeare superfan or someone who’s ever said, “so… what are we?” this festival delivers sharp wit, unexpected romance, and fresh theatre made at lightning speed.

CALLING ALL ACTORS

A total of 24 actors will be chosen to participate in the festival. Please note that half of the acting slots will be reserved for Foothill College students. Two (2) alternates will also be pulled from the lottery and contacted to perform in the event they are needed.

Sign up for SVS' 48-hour Play Festival lottery at the link below. You must be available for the entire weekend of events to participate; see the schedule below. Registration closes March 6th.

Actors will be chosen by lottery and receive confirmation of acceptance by March 11th.

WEEKEND OF EVENTS
MARCH 27–29, 2026

FRIDAY, MARCH 27 at 6 PM • PLAY FESTIVAL KICKOFF
Teams are assigned, and writers randomly draw a Shakespeare play and a dating element on which to base their script. All teams receive a required line of dialogue, prop, and surprise requirement to incorporate into their pieces.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28
Rehearsals at a South Bay location to be determined. Scripts are due from writers at 12:00 PM. Writers email the script to their director, who will distribute it to the cast and 48-hour Play Festival staff. Participants have the rest of the day to hunt for costumes and props and rehearse like Shakespearean madpeople!

SUNDAY, MARCH 29 (DAYTIME)
Rehearsals at Foothill College. In addition to independent work, each team receives a 30-minute onstage rehearsal slot between 11:25 AM and 3:00 PM. A full festival tech run-through begins onstage at 3:30 PM.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 7 PM
Showtime for ShakesDATE. Admission is $15. Tickets will be available late February/early March.

For additional information, email SVS Artistic Director Angie Higgins at angie.higgins@svshakespeare.org.