You become part of the community that keeps free theatre alive in NYC.
• Recognition on our website as a Bard’s Circle donor.

Join the Bard’s Circle as a Baron/Baroness
• Recognition on our website and in our summer program
• Two reserved seats at our next indoor production or reading
• Invitations to special donor events throughout the year

(≈ $240/year)

Join the Bard’s Circle as a Duke/Duchess
• Everything above, plus:
• Two reserved portable chairs at one performance of our outdoor summer show
• Invitation to go behind the scenes at a rehearsal, seeing the creative process up close

(≈ $480/year)

Join the Bard’s Circle as a Prince/Princess
• Everything above, plus:
• Two reserved portable chairs at Opening Night of our summer production, plus reception access
• A production poster signed by the cast
• Early-bird access to Gala tickets

(≈ $1,020/year)

Join the Bard’s Circle as a King/Queen
• Everything above, plus:
• Four reserved portable chairs for Opening Night of our summer production, plus reception
• Exclusive season swag

(≈ $2,520/year)

Join the Bard’s Circle as a Emperor/Empress
• Everything above, plus:
• An intimate dinner for four with our Artistic Director
• Six reserved portable chairs for Opening Night and access to reception

(≈ $5,040/year)

To recommend a grant from your DAF, direct it to: New York Classical Theatre, Inc.

EIN: 86-1056388

New York Classical Theatre
11 Broadway, Suite 420
New York, NY 10004

Many companies match donations made by employees!

Ask your HR department how to request a matching gift, and provide them with:
New York Classical Theatre, Inc.
EIN: 86-1056388

New York Classical Theatre
11 Broadway, Suite 420
New York, NY 10004

Let us know if we can help complete any forms by emailing development@nyclassical.org

Donating appreciated securities may offer tax advantages.

To initiate a stock gift via StockDonator, please click hereor scroll down to the screen button below. Questions? Email development@nyclassical.org.

We’ll confirm your gift and provide a tax acknowledgment upon receipt.

If you’re 70½ or older, you can give directly from your IRA—tax-free.

Ask your IRA custodian to send the gift to:
New York Classical Theatre, Inc.
11 Broadway, Suite 420, New York, NY 10004
EIN: 86-1056388

Please notify us at development@nyclassical.orgso we can watch for the check and send your receipt.

To make a donation by Venmo(@nyclassical - search under the “Charities” option or click here) or Zelle (development@nyclassical.org)

Include your name, email address, and “donation” in the memo line so we can properly acknowledge your gift.

Mail your check made out to New York Classical Theatre to:

New York Classical Theatre
11 Broadway, Suite 420
New York, NY 10004

Please include your name and email address so we can send a tax receipt.

We offer tailored sponsorship opportunities with visibility in marketing materials, online recognition, and exclusive audience engagement experiences, starting at just $250. Click here to learn more!

Remember NY Classical in your will. By including us in your estate plans, you help sustain free theatre for generations to come. To leave a gift in your will or other estate vehicle, make sure to include our legal name and federal ID #:
New York Classical, Inc. Theatre
EIN: 86-1056388

Learn more about planned giving opportunities by reaching out to development@nyclassical.org.Item description

Since 2000, we’ve presented over 900 free performances for more than 335,000 New Yorkers. In 2025 alone, nearly 9,000 people attended All’s Well That Ends Well—70% of them for the first time. Nearly 20% of our audience lives at or below the NYC poverty line, and more than 25% attend with children.

Your gift keeps theatre free and open, no tickets required, so all New Yorkers—regardless of financial means—can experience the joy and enrichment of live theatre.

Our actors, directors, designers, and stage managers earn union wages with healthcare and pension benefits, allowing them to thrive while creating unforgettable performances. All our crew members earn also receive a living salary.

Your gift supports living wages and benefits, making theatre careers viable in NYC.

Our Panoramic Theatre productions turn parks into stages, with audiences following the actors from place-to-place. Critics have called our work “a movable feast.”

Your gift funds costumes, props, rehearsal weeks, and the logistics of staging a fully professional Off-Broadway production outdoors.

There’s nothing like gathering with friends, family, or even your dog to experience Shakespeare against the backdrop of New York’s parks. Our Panoramic Theatre style turns Central Park rolling hills, Carl Schurz Park lawns, and the Battery’s waterfront into living stages, with audiences moving alongside the actors as the story unfolds. In 2025, nearly 9,000 people joined us for All’s Well That Ends Well—a record-breaking season that included Pride Night, Dog Night, and four Family Nights filled with crown-making, juggling lessons, and games. These events transform performances into civic celebrations, where fireflies, sunsets, and even the sounds of the city become part of the magic.

Your gift sustains one of New York’s most distinctive cultural traditions: professional, free theatre that is at once communal, celebratory, and unmistakably “New York.”

Launched in 2021, New Visions develops bold new plays inspired by the classics. Cycle 2 of the program has already received nearly 400 submissions from playwrights nationwide, with at least 50% of roles written for people of color.

Your gift invests in playwrights from historically excluded communities and helps reshape the classical canon.

In 2025, our first Student Matinee welcomed over 300 students from six schools, while our Senior Matinee confirmed over 200 older adults for a special performance – with seats provided!

Your gift provides curriculum guides, study materials, chairs, and talkbacks so seniors and students can access theatre on their terms.

Producing a free, fully professional summer production in New York City costs over $250,000—and with no ticket sales, every dollar comes from supporters like you. Your generosity makes it possible for thousands of New Yorkers to enjoy world-class theatre without financial barriers.

Support Free Theatre in NYC

• $50 covers the actual cost of one person attending a free summer performance.

• $100 helps fund a NYC Parks Department permit for a performance site.

• $175 covers a day of work for a young theatre professional—often one of their very first paid gigs.

• $250 supports an actor for a single New Visions public reading.

Looking to Make a Bigger Impact?

• $500 buys fabric, trim, buttons, and zippers for two new costumes for a summer show.

• $1,000 underwrites a brilliant classical actor’s performance for one week, including health and pension benefits.

• $2,500 sponsors a student or senior matinee, giving hundreds the chance to experience Shakespeare.

• $5,000 sponsors one of our Family Nights, complete with pre-show activities that welcome kids and parents alike into the world of classical theatre.