By Dirk Langeveld

NORWALK — As its 30th anniversary season approaches, Shakespeare on the Sound has named an executive director to helm the organization.

Aaron Simms has been promoted to lead Shakespeare on the Sound as its chief executive, operating, and artistic director. He was previously the managing and producing director for the organization’s past two seasons, which presented Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.

“I emphatically believe it is my purpose to create a welcoming artistic platform that invites the community to come together. It so happens that William Shakespeare wrote his plays for everyone. Together, both provide a way and means to continue Shakespeare on the Sound’s tradition of creating accessible and engaging professional productions that entertain and challenge audiences,” said Simms. “I look forward in continuing to guide our programming to suit the word to the actions that will resonate throughout our local community and make them proud of our work.”

Simms has more than 30 years of production credits in regional, Off-Broadway, and Broadway productions. He has held management and production roles in numerous theater organizations, is the founder and executive producer of Inwood Art Works in New York City, and was the founding co-chairman of Northern Manhattan Arts and Culture.

The promotion was approved through Shakespeare on the Sound’s board of directors. The organization also announced the hire of Stephanie Eiss as its director of education and outreach.

Since 1995, Shakespeare on the Sound has offered open-air shows of William Shakespeare’s plays in Pinkney Park in Norwalk. Highlighting some of Shakespeare’s most popular works, the performances take place in June for a three-week run.

Simms says he plans to continue the organization’s mission of offering high-quality productions at affordable prices. Although it has become more challenging to balance these prices against rising labor and material costs, ticket sales only account for about a quarter of Shakespeare on the Sound’s revenue. Most tickets are $15 or $25, and the organization relies heavily on individual donors and business sponsors for the balance of its revenue.

“It is important that there are no economic barriers to attend our productions,” says Simms.

Simms says he has been encouraged by the strong attendance and enthusiasm at shows in recent years, as well as the ability to hire many of the same professionals year after year. There has also been a robust interest among performers, with the open casting audition for the last performance receiving more actors than available roles.

Simms said he is also committed to making Shakespeare more accessible to young audiences. He noted how many people first experience the Bard’s works in a less than engaging way: as a mandatory reading assignment in a high school English class.

“Shakespeare didn’t write books, he wrote plays,” said Simms. “They’re meant to be seen and heard. This is how it was meant to be experienced firsthand.”

One unique offering of Shakespeare on the Sound is a half-hour kids’ show, adapted from the full-length play and presented by an apprentice company. This performance has proved appealing to both children and adults, who have found it to be a useful refresher on the play.

Simms says he is hoping to grow the organization’s outreach efforts, which include educational workshops, tours, and camps to connect with young audiences. Shakespeare on the Sound will also be presenting accessible and educational programming in Fairfield County schools, libraries, and museums in the spring of 2026.

Shakespeare on the Sound will be hosting a special holiday production on December 12 and 13, with a staged reading of A Christmas Carol. Proceeds from these performances will support the main stage production for the summer of 2026 and the organization’s educational programming in underserved communities. 

For more information on Shakespeare on the Sound, visit shakespeareonthesound.org.

Expanded coverage of Fairfield County cultural events is made possible with support from the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts.