GOSHEN — A theater company has formed in Goshen and they are shooting for May for its first public performance.

Go Shakes is the brainchild of actors Lindsey Nance and Carrie Lee Bland-Kendall, who have previous experience working together and who last year met up in Goshen to work together.

Originally, Nance and Bland-Kendall were doing scene studies together as they prepared for graduate school and going back to work, respectively, but then thought they would both benefit more from working in a more theatrical setting.

Out of their partnership came Go Shakes, a company that focuses on classic theater, specifically the works of William Shakespeare. The two believe the city will provide a receptive audience to their efforts because of what Bland-Kendall referred to as Goshen’s “artistic renaissance.”

Few plans have been locked down at this point. However, Nance did say the group will perform Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet” for two weekends beginning the first weekend in May.

The group has a few ideas on locations for the performance, but Nance and Bland-Kendall said they must first get approval from the Board of Public Works and Safety.

Producer Brad Weirich, who has been charged with putting together a proposal for the Board of Works, said the group will most likely not go before the board Monday, Feb. 11, but hopes that they will be ready soon after that.

Following their first production this spring, the Go Shakes team will take a wait-and-see approach on how to proceed further.

The question they will ask themselves is, ”Is theater something that can be supported here?” Nance explained. She said the “Romeo and Juliet” performance will be viewed as an experiment and will dictate how the group moves going forward.

Go Shakes is planning a launch of their intentions and website for sometime next week, though details are still being worked out for that as well.