2015 Kentucky Shakespeare Festival Summer Season Set

Kentucky Shakespeare has announced an expanded 55th summer season of free Shakespeare in Central Park featuring 7 productions over 10 weeks totaling 59 performances.

Kentucky Shakespeare will open the season with professional productions of THE TEMEPST directed by Matt Wallace on June 4, then THE TAMING OF THE SHREW directed by Amy Attaway on June 19, followed by MACBETH directed by Matt Wallace on July 3rd.

After two-week initial runs, the three productions will run again in rotating repertory from July 14th to July 26th with all three productions being performed in a single night on July 25th.

"We spent the year touring the state, parks, and libraries, and we're excited be back home in Central Park nearly every night throughout the summer, presenting free productions, pre-shows, and offering food trucks, bar service, and strolling entertainment. Following last summer's record attendance of over 27,000 audience members, we're delighted to expand our professional season by an additional week. This will provide additional opportunities for our community to experience the festival in addition to opening the season earlier than we've opened in the past, previewing THE TEMPEST June 3," says Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director.

Kentucky Shakespeare will also present THE COMEDY OF ERRORS by their Globe Players high school theatre conservatory, directed by Director of Education Kyle Ware, which opens on July 29th and runs through August 2.

New to the season is LATE NIGHT SHAKES, an improvised Shakespeare play, performed by the Louisville Improvisors on select Saturday nights following the production - June 27th, July 11th and 18th at 10:30 pm.

The season concludes with Community Partners Week August 4-9. This week will showcase two local theatre companies performing works of Shakespeare on the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheatre stage in rotating repertory. Companies and productions include the Bard's Town Theatre presenting CHASING OPHELIA by Doug Schutte and Theatre [502] presenting the world premiere of THE TWO LOBBYISTS OF VERONA by Diana Grisanti and Steve Moulds.

Kentucky Shakespeare Festival will also preview the Greek comedy THE BIRDS by Aristophanes as a 7PM pre-show on June 10th and 11th in Central Park before its premiere at Greek Fest on June 12th - 14th. (adapted and directed by Gregory Maupin.)

The season runs June 3rd - August 9th in Old Louisville's Central Park. Tuesday - Sunday each week. (No performance on Mondays or June 16, 17, 30, July 1, 28.)

"We've worked hard this year to further improve the audience experience. Following last season's sound system upgrade, this season we've completed major projects such as a new lighting truss and installing 135 new, permanent in-ground benches, thanks to many generous donors. If you've never been, we invite you to experience the festival. If you're returning, you're going to experience it like never before," Wallace explains.

There will be pre-show entertainment beginning at 7:15 p.m. before the 8:00 p.m. curtain.

Food trucks, Will's Tavern, and Will's Gift Shop open at 7 p.m. nightly. Will's Tavern will be serving libations from Brown-Forman, Maker's Mark, and Old 502 Winery as well as beer and hard cider. Food will be available for purchase each night from the Louisville Food Truck Association.

If you would like to schedule an interview with Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director, Amy Attaway, Director of THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, guest companies, or learn more about the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival please contact Robert Silverthorn III at 574-9900 or rob@kyshakespeare.com.

ABOUT KENTUCKY SHAKESPEARE

Kentucky Shakespeare presents the oldest free Shakespeare festival in the United States and is the largest, in-school arts education provider in the Commonwealth. Grounded in the works of Shakespeare, Kentucky Shakespeare's mission is to enrich our community by presenting accessible, professional theatre experiences that educate, inspire, and entertain people of all ages.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

3 Kentucky Shakespeare Professional Productions:

THE TEMPEST directed by Matt Wallace

June 3-7

(June 3 preview, June 4 opening)

June 9-14

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW directed by Amy Attaway

June 18-21

(June 18 preview, June 19 opening)

June 23-28

MACBETH directed by Matt Wallace

July 2-5

(July 2 preview, July 3 opening)

July 7-12

Rotating Repertory
(THE TEMPEST, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, MACBETH)

July 14 - July 24, July 26

Macbeth July 14, July 17, July 22, July 26

The Taming of the Shrew July 16, July 19, July 21, July 24

The Tempest July 15, July 18, July 23

Bard-A-Thon

(THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, THE TEMPEST, MACBETH)

4:30 p.m.; 7:30 p.m.; 10:30 p.m.

July 25

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS directed by Kyle Ware, Globe Players

July 29-August 2

LATE NIGHT SHAKES, Louisville Improvisors

10:30 p.m.

June 27

July 11

July 18

Community Partners Week

August 4-August 9

CHASING OPHELIA by Doug Schutte, The Bard's Town Theatre, August 4, 6, 7

THE TWO LOBBYISTS OF VERONA by Diana Grisanti and Steve Moulds, World Premiere, by Theatre [502], August 5, 8, 9

NEW - Satellite location performances

THE BIRDS by Aristophanes, adapted and directed by Gregory Maupin

Preview June 10-11 @ 7PM at Central Park

Opens June 12-13 @ 7PM, June 14 @ 4PM at Greek Fest, Festival Plaza, Waterfront Park, Louisville KY