KCST exists to bring free, outstanding theater to the columbia university community.
founding
KCST’s founders James Stoterau (CC’95), Adam Lyons (CC’96), and Susan Burt (BC’95) aimed at designing a play in which people who might be intimidated by Columbia campus theatre could take part in large-scale, quality productions in a lower-stress environment. The first ever King’s Crown production, performed in 1995, was Romeo and Juliet, with the movement starting in front of Uris Hall and moving to a sword-fight on Low Steps. The unorthodox outdoor setting—which was originally a solution to the lack of suitable indoor performance spaces on campus— has since become a rich, beloved tradition.
history
King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe was founded 24 years ago by Columbia students looking to provide the Columbia University community with theatrical opportunities, processes and productions of the highest quality. As Columbia’s only undergraduate Shakespeare troupe, we’re dedicated to engaging with and providing high-quality Shakespeare to our community—all of our productions are completely free of charge.
Our annual Spring Show production is staged at different locations around Columbia University’s beautiful Morningside Heights campus, and casts every student who auditions. Our brand of Shakespeare has been called ‘nomadic,’ but we prefer to think of it as ‘too big for the stage.’
In addition to our annual Spring Show, we put up two fall shows—at least one of which is Shakespeare—, our fall anthology series ShakeScenes, and one winter show, which has been our Egg and Peacock 24-Hour Play Festival for over a decade. We’re proud to have collaborated with UN Women for the He For She Arts Festival, the Columbia Circus Collective, and the Columbia Federalist for our productions.
We take pride in the quality of all of our productions, as well as the community that we continue to build each year through traditions such as Sunday rehearsals, picnics, troupe outings, and our weekly Office Hours.
The King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe is an equal-opportunity company that does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, gender, age, or sexual orientation.
the kcst canon
Which of Shakespeare’s plays has KCST done?
Shakespeare plays KCST has yet to perform:
All's Well That Ends Well
Love's Labour's Lost
Merry Wives of Windsor
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Henry V
Henry VI, Part I
Henry VI, Part II
Henry VI, Part III
Henry VIII
King John*
Pericles
Timon of Athens
*King John, while never performed in full, was excerpted in a one-act festival in 2006 and a scene was performed as a part of A Shakespeare Festival (2023).
Hamlet - 1999, 2005, 2011, 2018, 2022
Macbeth - 1996, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2021
Romeo & Juliet - 1995, 2003, 2012, 2019
Much Ado About Nothing - 1998, 2007, 2015, 2023
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - 2000, 2012, 2019, 2024
As You Like It - 1997, 2008, 2017
Julius Caesar - 2009, 2016, 2025
King Lear - 2002, 2007
Measure for Measure - 2010, 2017
Taming of the Shrew - 2003, 2011
The Tempest - 2004, 2014
The Winter’s Tale - 2008, 2018
Twelfth Night - 2001, 2015
Henry IV Part II- 2013, 2022
Richard III - 2006, 2024
Antony and Cleopatra - 2023
Henry IV Part I - 2022
Comedy of Errors - 2001
Coriolanus - 2010
Cymbeline - 2013
Othello - 2009
Titus Andronicus - 2014
The Merchant of Venice - 2005
Troilus & Cressida - 1999
