LEAR and MERRY WIVES Set for Shakespeare in the Woods 2026 Season

Shakespeare in the Woods will present its 6th Repertory Season of outdoor theatre. The company will present two new adaptations of Lear and Merry Wives. Performances will occur during August 12- 30, on the idyllic Taconic Lawn at venue partner The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vermont. The 2026 Season will be one of "Chaos and Folly", exploring a variety of themes including love, control, jealousy, deception, nature, and community. Helming the productions are virtuoso directors Elizabeth Dinkova (Lear), returning for her third SitW season, and Jaz Hall (Merry Wives), joining for their first.

LEAR

By William Shakespeare
Adapted & Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova

A small secluded community has sworn off the rest of the world and built their own perfect haven in the woods. In this land of sacred hymns and mystical rites, matriarch Lear demands complete submission, but it's a small price to pay for utopia. When Lear decides to pass the reins to her daughters and a prodigal son returns, lines between cult and culture blur. As society strains under the weight of the old guard's expectations and the new guard's machinations, everyone's true self will be revealed.

MERRY WIVES

By William Shakespeare
Adapted & Directed by Jaz Hall

Ain't no party like a peafowl party cause a peafowl party don't... squawk?! Step right up, you don't want to miss the PEACOCK PROMENADE. Domesticity be damned; in this quick witted, anachronistic envisioning, our merry "Mistresses of Ceremony" manage the most (systemically) popular show on Earth. Step right up, it's burlesque.. it's drag... it's... the PERFORMANCE OF MASCULINITY! Thaaaaat's right, grounded in one of Mutha Nature's most fabulous displays of virility, this delightfully absurd production subverts societally expected and accepted expressions of "masculinity" simply with an exchange of modus operandi (the method of expression).

2026 TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION:

Tickets for Lear and Merry Wives will be available for advance online purchase starting June 1st, 2026, with same day purchase available at the box office day of performances. SitW uses a sliding scale ticket model with multiple price points, including a zero cost option. Early Bird Deal: $80 for a ticket bundle to both productions, when purchased before July 12, 2026 (single tickets for Lear and Merry Wives, valued at $40/ea).

All season performances take place outdoors on the Taconic Lawn at The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa (3567 Main St, Manchester, VT 05254), and are rain or shine. In the event of severe weather conditions, SitW will provide time sensitive updates.