About Us

Live Oakes
Educational Theater

About Us

Live Oakes Educational Theater is dedicated to combining rigorous research with acting expertise to bring history to life. Our mission is to inspire our audiences with stories from the past that can make a difference for the future. Since 1994 we have toured our award-winning, living-history shows, complete with evocative sets and period costumes, to schools, libraries, National and State Historic Parks, museums, and theaters across the country.

We are seasoned professional actor/scholars, with a life-long commitment to educational theater. Most touring troupes send you amateur actors who merely memorize lines. We research, write, produce and perform our own shows, and can answer questions in character! We bring history alive by engaging audiences in dialogue, discussion and debate with historical characters. We really know our subjects!

Our goal as teachers is to train students to be self-confident, powerful communicators and responsible ensemble players.

Artistic Director Michael Oakes* has been acting, directing, and writing for over thirty years. Trained at A.C.T., he performs, teaches and directs youth programs with professional companies in the Bay Area, and recently wrote the screenplay “Da Vinci’s Dreams”. Mr. Oakes earned his B.S. and M.S. and honed his research skills as a biologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. *member Actor’s Equity Assoc.

Managing Producer Renee Oakes is a leading North Bay actress, Musical Director, and professional soprano. She recently sang on a project for Disney and recorded original works by Dave Brubeck with the Grammy-nominated PME (Pacific Mozart Ensemble). Ms. Oakes enhances our shows with women’s history, period music, and administrative excellence.

“Your performances are awesome! Not only are you professional actors who can hold an audience, you do the research necessary to really bring history to life.”

– Sue Schmidt, Volunteer Coordinator, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park