THE BARD IS BACK!

Kentucky Shakespeare announces 63rd season

by Amy Higgs

Louisville is fortunate to be home to the longest-running non-ticketed Shakespeare festival in the United States, and we’re in for another exciting season of The Bard’s classic plays!

The 63rd annual Kentucky Shakespeare Festival will be held from May 24 to August 6, 2023, at the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Old Louisville’s Central Park. All performances are presented free of charge.

“I’m honored to kick off my 10th season as Producing Artistic Director and announce a thrilling 63rd season of your Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park! The 11-week season features 62 performances, seven productions, all presented absolutely free to audience members.” said Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director.

“We’ll kick off the main stage season with a magical production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring a flying Puck, made possible by ZFX Flying Effects. It will be followed by witches returning to Central Park in the classic spooky tragedy,

Macbeth, and a whimsical production of Love’s Labor’s Lost, set at a resort in the 1950s. The play was last performed on the main stage in 2001; incidentally, my first season with the company as an actor. The season will again feature two weeks of rotating repertory in July in which all three productions will rotate nightly.”

In addition to the three main stage productions, Kentucky Shakespeare will present The Two Gentlemen of Verona by its Globe Players professional training program for high school students, plus a new production of Shakespeare in Dance from Louisville Ballet (this year inspired by Macbeth), and Late Night Shakes, a Shakespearean improvisation comedy show from the Louisville Improvisors.

New this year, the Louisville Fringe Festival will present three, late night performances of its GLOBE Arm Wrestling, featuring Shakespeare characters going arm-to-arm in a unique live theatrical experience.

But before the main stage season kicks off in May, Kentucky Shakespeare is going on the road. Its Shakespeare in the Parks tour will present Hamlet at community parks across the region from April 1 to May 22. Schedule coming soon!

Visit kyshakespeare.com for more information.