Shakespeare & Company’s Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer Dies at 87

Tina Packer, Shakespeare & Company's Founding Artistic Director and acclaimed director, actor, writer, and teacher, has died at age 87.

Tina co-founded Shakespeare & Company in 1978 along with a cadre of theater artists, served as its Artistic Director until 2009, and continued to direct, teach, and advocate for the Company until her passing.

Her indelible creativity will be carried forward by countless artists, students, colleagues, admirers, and friends, and her influence on the world of Shakespeare will be enduring. 

From Artistic Director Allyn Burrows:  “Our hearts are heavy with the passing of Tina Packer, a fiery force of nature with an indomitable spirit. Tina affected everyone she encountered with her warmth, generosity, wit, and insatiable curiosity. She delighted in people's stories, and reached into their hearts with tender humanity. The world was her stage, and she furthered the Berkshires as a destination for the imagination. Tina had so much life in her that it's hard to think of it going anywhere but to be held in all of us.”

Information regarding memorial services will be offered in the coming days.