Photo Flash: What's On At Scranton Shakespeare Festival's Closing Signature REP WEEKEND

The Scranton Shakespeare Festival (SSF) will wrap up its seventh season of free theatre - an ambitious program featuring two Shakespeare comedies, two musicals, a new devised work, and its annual Youth Theatre Lab piece - with the festival's signature last weekend, July 27 - 29, 2018.

For its seventh year, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival will perform its season in repertory, starting with "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," July 27th. Directed by Bobby Temple, the musical will be performed at The Marketplace at Steamtown Mall, continuing the festival's exploration of site-specific theatre, a nod to last year's "Damn Yankees" at PNC Field.

Randolph Curtis Rand returns to the festival to direct an abridged, four-person version of Shakespeare's "Tempest," double-billed with Brenna Geffers' devised work "Sycorax," specially commissioned by the festival and inspired by a character briefly mentioned in "Tempest." "Tempest/Sycorax" will go on July 28th at Scranton Prep.

Returning SSF company-member and star of new British TV show "Pure", Charly Clive, will perform her award-winning show "Britney" at the Robert Bellarmine Theatre, July 28th. Inspired by true events, "Britney" is a sketch-style cabaret comedy about what happens to two friends when one gets a brain tumour.

"As You Like It," directed by festival newcomer Emma Rosa Went, will go up July 29th, at Scranton Prep.

The festival's second musical, "Footloose," directed by Artistic Director and Scranton native, Michael Bradshaw Flynn, will perform July 29th, at Scranton Prep, officially wrapping a successful season up.

All events are free, but require reservations. Tickets are available online at www.scrantonshakes.com or by calling (570) 230-7277.

As in previous years, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival continues to push boundaries and expand its reach, exploring a variety of relevant themes and echoing national conversations on challenging the status quo and the youth movement sweeping the country.

The Scranton Shakespeare Festival is a not-for-profit, government-recognized 501 (c)3 organization. Founded by a board of local community members and theatre professionals who hail from Northeastern Pennsylvania region, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival is now in its seventh season of professional theatre that is free to the public. SSF is made possible by the generosity of local businesses and institutions, the support of grants of both state and national standing, the dedication of our talented company of actors and technicians reigning from Northeast Pennsylvania, New York City, Philadelphia, and beyond, but most importantly through the patronage and donations of our community.

From left to right: Nicole Weitzman, Billie Aken-Tyers and Alyssa Reed with the 2018 company of the Scranton Shakespeare Festival in "Footloose". Photo courtesy of Kenny Luck.