Shakespeare in Delaware Park is a not-for-profit professional theatre company that provides free, high-quality public theatre to enrich, educate, and entertain diverse audiences through the works of William Shakespeare.
Our vision is to engage people of all walks of life in a deeply meaningful, communal experience, as they witness the truths of the human experience through the highest quality productions, featuring the timeless plays of William Shakespeare. SDP’s Core Values are Accessibility, Artistic Innovation, Audience Experience, Commitment to Excellence, Community, and Educational Enrichment.
Each summer, SDP presents two works of William Shakespeare, typically one tragedy or history and one comedy, each running 6 nights per week for 3.5 weeks, for a total of 44 performances. For 43 years, SDP has provided Western New York with free outdoor professional theatre and has grown into an anticipated and beloved summer tradition. SDP has mounted over 80 productions with approximately 3,000 presentations that have entertained an estimated 1.5 million guests!
Saul Elkin
Founder/Director Emeritus
Dr. Saul Elkin is the Founder and Artistic Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park which was established in 1976.He began his career as a child actor in New York City. In the years that have followed, he has acted in, or directed over 250 productions on and off Broadway, in films, in summer and regional theatres, and briefly on the soap opera “Edge of Night”. He holds a B.A. and an M.F.A. from Columbia and a Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University. He taught Theatre at the State University of NY at Buffalo beginning in l969 and served as Chair of the Department from l967-85, from l988-l99l, and was Interim Chair fall semester 2000. He was the first UB recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1995, his name was placed in the Western New York Theatre Hall of Fame. He was honored with the title of Distinguished Service Professor in 1996. In 1998, he was honored by the Arts Council as “Outstanding Individual Artist of the Year.” And this month he will be awarded the SPARK Life Time Achievement Award. He appears frequently as an actor in area theatres and is Co-Founder and Artistic Director for Jewish Repertory Theatre.
