our story
Vagabond Shakespeare began as a little idea hiding in the soul of our founder, John Michael Cox:
How much can a company of actors streamline the theatrical process?
Why can't a team of actors also be a team of producers, directors, designers, managers, etc.?
Can we connect actors and audiences so closely that EVERYONE becomes a player in the stories we love?
Is this sort of unconventional "farmers market theatre" possible?
Little did John Michael know so many encouraging colleagues would share his passion for
accessible stories, streamlined processes, artist sustainability, and community building.
In August of 2023, a virtual brainstorm community took shape, culminating five months later in
an undeniable company identity, clear vision and mission statements, and a company name:
VAGABOND SHAKESPEARE
our vision
Sustainability for Actors; Accessibility for Audiences.
our mission
To create, develop, & produce
legendary stories that build community.
our founding artistic director
John Michael Cox is an actor, director, & fight director based in South Carolina. He earned his MFA in Classical Acting from The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy at The George Washington University and has been working consistently ever since. He has performed in 20 of The Bard's plays including As You Like it, Comedy of Errors, Hamlet, Henry IV, Henry VI, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, Romeo & Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and The Tempest.
Directing credits: A Christmas Carol, Classic Players: Off the Boards, Comedy of Errors, Happily Ever After Please, Mary Poppins, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Murder on the Orient Express, Romeo & Juliet, The Shawshank Redemption, Sorry Wrong Answer, This Could Be, To Theophilus, Twelfth Night, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and The White Rose.
Fight Directing: Alas & Other Remedies, Beauty & the Beast, Comedy of Errors, Great Expectations, A Few Good Men, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Melancholy Play, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Murder Plain & Simple (world premier), Newsies, Peter & the Starcatcher, Richard III, Romeo & Juliet, Samson et Dalilah, A Tale of Two Cities, Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Two Noble Kinsmen.
For John Michael, each creative project is a new invitation toward Trust, Curiosity, and Play.
His daughter, Rosalind, is why he smiles.
@michaelhallerphotography
our brainstormers
None of the stories you'll experience from Vagabond could exist
without the efforts of our brainstorm community that began in summer of 2023.
A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING BRAINSTORMERS & COLLABORATORS:
Grace Abele, Ryan Adolph, Hannah Allen, Travis Ascione, Christopher Atchison, Lindsay Morgan Bean, Michael Beverley, Melissa Bonilla, Greta Boeringer, Josh Boulden, Gabby Boyd, Laura Brennan, Casey Brighton, Skye Bronfenbrenner, Renea Brown, Vania Bryson, Sophie Burke, Mark Cabus, Eli Carnahan, Tara Chiusano, Isa Condo-Olvera, Sydney Cooper, Allison Hope Cox, John Michael Cox, Mark Cox, Mitchell Cox, Danny Crowe, Natalie Cutcher, Sean Dale, Beck Damron, Acacia Danielson, Quinn Davis, Lily Fonte, Beckett Foxx, Cynthia Gibson, Sarah Hart, Mia Hilt, Josh Innerst, Om Jae, Charlotte Jaffe, JDew, Karie Jensen, Paul Jutras, Drew Kenyon, Jon Klukow, Eric Lane, Dave LaPage, Sam Lazarus, Gimmick León, AnnaGrace Leszkowicz, Audrey Loomis, Emma Massey, Wilbur Matthew Mauk III, C. J. McElhiney, Erika McGonigal, Séamus Miller, Gracyn Mix, Meetra Moyer, Dani Grace Nissen, Eliza Pagelle, Austin Phillips, Giuseppe Michael Pipicella, Nathan Pittack, Ben "Dutch" Porch, Jeff Raab, Charlotte Raines, Anna Rock, Stephanie Schlosser, Johnathan Schofield, Ellis Schoolfield, Tro Shaw, Cameron Smith, Isaac Stephens, Taylor Stephens, Mark Swift, Kevin Thiel, Olivia Tippett, Chase Whitehurst, Olivia Willcox, Austin Reece Taylor, Steve White, Christina Yasi, Nathan Young