Bard-themed festivals bloom in spring and summer, and Marin is no exception to the trend. One such seasonal series is Shakespeare at Stinson (SAS), which began back in 1993, in Barbara Chevalier’s legendary Stinson Beach gardens. Though they played to a few empty houses in the beginning, it didn’t take long for word to spread, says Jeffrey Trotter, founder and artistic director of SAS. Over a decade later, SAS has become an annual Marin tradition, one with a permanent location (on the corner of Highway One and Calle Del Mar, about 300 feet from the beach) and a loyal following. But some things haven’t changed: the outdoor theatre is still small and intimate—it accommodates just 155 seats—and Trotter’s devotion to producing quality plays in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere remains the festival’s driving force. “The Bay Area theatre circles are very small and there seems to be a lot of Shakespeare in the area,” says Trotter. “However, none are as intimate with the audience as our small theatre is.”