system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: In theatre, why do so many people want to perform Shakespeare?
gpt
A lot of Shakespeare's plays are considered classics - which means that they're respected, popular, and compelling.  So for an actor looking for a good role, a prominent Shakespearean part like Romeo, King Lear, Lady MacBeth, Hamlet, Viola, etc. means several things.  

First of all, it's often an interesting part that requires a complex range of acting skills - that's appealing to actors who want to challenge themselves or improve their acting abilities.

On top of that, Shakespeare tends to attract good actors and directors - his plays aren't the easiest to understand or put together, so you can be pretty sure that the people working on it are fairly intelligent and talented, which is a good working environment and great for making connections.

And of course, Shakespeare means exposure.  Not that many people will make a trip to see a Brecht play, or Ibsen, or Tennessee Williams, or any number of wonderful but somewhat lesser-known playwrights... but Shakespeare is probably one of the most famous names of all time, along with the names of so many of his plays.... that means that people will pay attention and buy tickets when his plays are going on.  More exposure means more money, usually, but also more recognition - if you want to get your name out there, earn bigger parts on better stages (or film/TV), it's important that many people know your name.