The award-winning Las Vegas Shakespeare Company is moving to downtown’s Cultural Corridor. In early 2012, the former Reed Whipple Cultural Center, located at 821 Las Vegas Blvd. N., will reopen as the Las Vegas Shakespeare Theatre. The 33,000-square-foot facility will house two performance spaces, scene and costume shops, rehearsal space, offices, classrooms, a gift shop and storage.

A working professional theatre downtown will provide cultural activities for Las Vegas residents and tourists, while bringing seven permanent and 200 part-time jobs to the area over the course of a year.

Dan Decker, artistic director for the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, says, “The company produces six productions each year, and moving into the new facility will enable us to expand our schedule.”

Shakespeare plays will account for about one-third of the facility’s theatre productions. Other productions will include musicals, contemporary plays, new works, holiday productions and family shows.

“‘We plan to provide something for everyone, helping to make the Cultural Corridor the go-to place for high-quality and affordable entertainment in Las Vegas,” Decker said.

The Cultural Corridor also includes the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, the Neon Boneyard, the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort and State Historic Park, the Las Vegas Library and Cashman Center.

For more information on the Las Vegas Shakespeare Company, visit www.lvshakes.org or call (702) 220-5872.

Photo: Richard Kashanski. Bonnie Freeman as Hecate in Shakespeare's Macbeth