The Stolen Shakespeare Guild is on the hunt for a new stage.

The nonprofit theater is one of several tenants looking for a new space to host shows and its offices after Arts Fort Worth announced in July that it was winding down its management of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center. 

Arts Fort Worth is the primary tenant of the city-owned facility and has managed the space for the past 22 years as part of its contract with the city. The building will close its doors to the public Jan. 1, and tenants are expected to relocate by April 2025. 

The announcement came two months after city officials rejected two proposals to redevelop the arts center at 1300 Gendy St., citing unsustainable costs managing the facility. 

“When (the city) announced they were going to redevelop the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, we did not know what that meant for us and whether there would be a place for us there or not,” Lauren Morgan, co-executive and artistic director for the Stolen Shakespeare Guild, said.

Initially, Lauren and her husband, Jason Morgan, co-executive and artistic director, hoped that the Community Arts Center would be renovated. As it became clear that redeveloping the space was more likely, the Morgans anticipated being in the space through the end of Arts Fort Worth’s lease in October 2025.

“We’ve been preparing for this,” Lauren Morgan said. “We just thought we had a little more time.”

“Since we had started this preparation already, at least we’re not starting from scratch,” Jason Morgan added. “We have raised some money and we have done some research on some spaces that we’re looking at to go to.”

The theater’s most pressing deadline is finding a space for its annual Stolen Shakespeare Festival in February, which is the nonprofit’s biggest production of the year.

“I feel like Arts Fort Worth tried their best to keep the space open,” Jason Morgan said. “We’re probably very lucky that they’re keeping it open until Dec. 31.”

In an ideal world, they might be able to host the festival in their new permanent home. However, the festival space might also be a stop gap. The theater is looking to either sign a long-term lease or build its own space.

To that end, the nonprofit is working to raise $500,000. The Morgans emphasized that the money is not for the theater’s survival — it’s about securing a new space.

As of the end of July, the nonprofit had already raised $168,000. 

“We’re in great shape financially. We have a strong board. We have a lot of talent. We have a lot going for us,” Lauren Morgan said. “We would love for the community to support us in this endeavor and help us find our home.”

The theater, which promotes classical works, has come a long way since its humble beginning as part of Jason Morgan’s master’s thesis project in 2004. In its first season, the company had a $1,000 budget. The nonprofit performed at a few different theater spaces in the metroplex before landing at the community arts center.

Now, their collection of costumes and set pieces is worth more than $100,000, Lauren Morgan said.

As they seek a new home, they want to find a space that will accommodate their performances, educational programming, a lobby bar and ample parking for its audience.

“Having a healthy art scene is important for the city. If it’s (known for) cowboys and culture, having a classical theater company, I think that’s essential,” she said.

Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.