About Us
Mission
To enrich and empower the community by bringing live theatre that is accessible, intimate, classical, and local.
What we do
Festival Theatre Ensemble (FTE), founded in 1994 by Artistic Director Bruce W. De Les Dernier, is dedicated to the production of classical theatre and the creation of stage adaptations of classic novels, legends, and fairy tales. The initial three-show season was created largely for touring, much as in the sixteenth century, when acting troupes had no theaters of their own, but would travel from village to village, using whatever stage was available.
Festival Theatre Ensemble has traveled far and wide to bring Shakespeare to various communities in northern and central California, finally settling into a permanent home in the historic town of Los Gatos with the founding of the Los Gatos Shakespeare Festival, performing under the stars each summer in Oak Meadow Park since 2002. In 2011, FTE founded Shakespeare at Full Circle Farm, a sustainable, community farm in Sunnyvale. FTE is actively seeking indoor venues in the area to fulfill their goal of offering high quality theatre year-round.
In addition to its main-stage festival performances, Festival Theatre Ensemble offers Camp Shakespeare and Midsummer Faerie Camp for children during the summer. FTE also performs interactive theatre for school-aged children with their productions of The Shakespeare Connection: Monsters and Clowns, tailored for grades K-6. These performances are available throughout the South Bay and Peninsula.
Festival Theatre Ensemble is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) theatre company dedicated to providing exceptional entertainment that remains affordable to all. Audiences are consistently full, yet ticket sales cover just half the expenses of performing to nearly 3000 people each summer. The company is grateful to its sponsors and loyal fans who join it each summer to "play in the park after dark!"
History
Take a look back at our previous seasons.
2015 Board of Directors
Amr Mourad
Kimberly Wood
Sabrina Porter-Parees
Cristi Bocci
Josh Parees
“The best summer theater on the Peninsula for the last few years has been the outdoor Shakespeare and other classics produced by Festival Theatre Ensemble… don't miss it.” - John Angell Grant, Palo Alto Daily
“This company has...a wonderful interactive camaraderie, significant theatrical skills and a gem of a director.” - The North Coast Journal
Joe Antonicelli
Rachel Bakker
James Barker
Cristi Bocci
Matthew Castle
Bruce W. De Les Dernie
Robin De Les Dernier
Kyle Fox
Jann Fratis
Jane Goldsmith
Nicole Haskell
Cici Huber
Anna Julian
Vaughn J. Mayer
Nick Mandracchia
Amr Mourad
Caitlin Lawrence Papp
Lisa K. Schultz
Jonathan Stebbins
Max Tachis
James Tate
Kyle Terry
Kimberly Wood
To learn more about our Cast and Creative Team visit our Ensemble page.
Contact Us
Festival Theatre Ensemble
PO Box 954
Los Gatos, CA 95031-0954
[email protected]
408-996-0635
