Help Build a Stronger NY Classical
Make your fiscal year-end gift by September 30.
This summer, weather forced us to cancel more than 40% of our scheduled performances of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar.
That meant more than $20,000 in lost contributions—and, even more painfully, thousands of New Yorkers missing the chance to experience free, professional theatre in their city.
We cannot control the weather. But together, we can build a stronger NY Classical—one that is better prepared for unexpected challenges and able to bring our work to more people, in more places, more often.
Your fiscal year-end gift will help us:
Build the financial strength to withstand future disruptions
Present more free performances
Reach audiences in more communities
Continue paying professional artists equitably
Expand access for students, families, seniors, and patrons with limited mobility
For 27 years, NY Classical has brought world-class, Off-Broadway theatre to more than 345,000 New Yorkers—for free. No tickets, no lines, no barriers. Just the joy of gathering in parks and public spaces to experience Shakespeare and the classics together.
That is what makes this work so special. Families discover Shakespeare together. Students experience a live play for the first time. Neighbors gather under the open sky. And people from every background are welcomed into the same shared story.
None of it happens without the generosity of people who believe, as we do, that theatre belongs to everyone.
Whether you joined us this summer, had your performance canceled, supported us before, or are discovering NY Classical for the first time, your gift can help shape what comes next.
Help us build a stronger, more resilient NY Classical. Together, we can make sure free professional theatre remains available to every New Yorker—whatever the forecast.
Make a greater impact by giving monthly!
The Bard’s Circle is the most powerful way to support NY Classical. With a monthly recurring gift you provide steady funding that helps us plan ahead, pay artists equitably, and keep our performances free for all.
Our EIN is: 86-1056388
Our address is: 11 Broadway, Suite 420
New York, NY 10004
MORE WAYS TO GIVE
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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: 86-1056388New 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 here or 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.org so 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.
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Mail your check made out to New York Classical Theatre to:
New York Classical Theatre
11 Broadway, Suite 420
New York, NY 10004Please include your name and email address so we can send a tax receipt.
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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!
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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: 86-1056388Learn more about planned giving opportunities by reaching out to development@nyclassical.org.Item description
Your Gift Makes IT Possible
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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.
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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.
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There’s nothing like gathering with friends, family—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.”
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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 different 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.
