The company was founded as the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival and performed its first productions in 1989.

It is based at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Orlando's Loch Haven Park.

The current season includes a Subscription Series of seven productions with a cast of AEA professional actors from around the country,[1] a Children's Series of three productions, a weekend festival of new plays titled PlayFest,[2] one summer Shakespeare production performed by local high school students titled The Young Company,[3] summer camps for children,[4] community and professional classes,[5] and extensive teaching in K-12 schools.

Convenient to downtown Orlando and I-4, the 50,000 sq ft (4,600 m2) center houses the Ken and Trisha Margeson Theater (324 seats), the Marilyn and Sig Goldman Theater (118 seats), The Santos-Dantin Theater (70 seats), Mandell Studio Theater (99 seats), the Dr. Phillips Patrons Room, gift shop, catering kitchen, scenic, costume and prop shops, administrative offices, and the outdoor Darden Courtyard.

[7] The Orlando Shakespeare Theater has a professional, long-term partnership with the University of Central Florida.