See you at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival!

Kentucky Shakespeare Festival Announces 66th Season of Free Kentucky Shakespeare in Central Park

A preview by Kate Barry

Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Kate Barry. All rights reserved.

If you are longing for summer nights under the stars amidst all this snow and ice that simply will not melt, there is good news! You can ease your cabin fever with a promise of outdoor theatre. Kentucky Shakespeare, the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth, announces the 66th annual free Kentucky Shakespeare Festival May 27-August 9, 2026, at the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Old Louisville’s Central Park.

“We are delighted to share another exciting season of free performances in Central Park, the 66th anniversary season of your Kentucky Shakespeare Festival! The 2026 eleven-week season features fifty-five performances, five productions, all presented absolutely free to the community throughout the summer,” said Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director. “We’ll kick off the main stage season the beloved, pastoral romantic comedy As You Like It, followed by the epic tragedy Antony and Cleopatra – last performed on our stage 55 years ago, and Shakespeare’s hilarious comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona. The season again features two weeks of rotating repertory in July in which all three productions will rotate nightly.”

In addition to the comedies and tragedy of The Bard, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival will feature Romeo and Juliet, performed by The Globe Players, the professional training program for high school students. Louisville Ballet will feature performances of their Shakespeare in Dance as well. The Kids Globe tent will feature activities for younger Shakespeare fans, food trucks will be available and community arts groups are scheduled to appear in pre-show performances starting at 7:15 pm each night. All performances are presented free of charge at Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park, the longest-running non-ticketed Shakespeare festival in the United States.

So if you crave the summer sun while you wait for the snow to melt, Kentucky Shakespeare Festival has an action packed season waiting for you. Comedies with romance, mistaken identities and a dog and a tragedy of epic proportions will satisfy all kinds of Shakespeare fans. The Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth has a season that can not be missed!

Nightly Schedule

6:00pm Food Trucks Open

7:00pm Will’s Tavern, Will’s Gift Shop, and Kids’ Globe open

7:15pm Community Pre-Show Performance

8:00pm Production Begins

Please visit kyshakespeare.com for more information and schedules.

The 2026 Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park:

As You Like It

by William Shakespeare

Directed by Matt Wallace

May 27-31; June 3-7; June 10-14; July 15, 18, 21, 24

The 66th season kicks off with this irresistible and beloved pastoral romantic comedy. "All the world's a stage" in the hilarious tale of love, mistaken identity, and banishment in the transformative Forest of Arden.

Antony and Cleopatra

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Amy Attaway

June 18-21; June 24-28; July 14, 17, 22, 25

Shakespeare’s legendary romance comes to vivid life in this love story of two powerful leaders: Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, and Mark Antony, General of the Roman Empire. Passion leads to tragedy in this epic tale of desire, scandal, and power.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Matt Wallace

July 2-3, 5; 7-12; 16, 19, 23, 26

What happens in Milan, stays in Milan! Shakespeare’s gleefully silly comedy is set in 1940’s Last Vegas, where love and friendship are put to the test. A charming adventure navigating a love triangle, betrayal, disguises, an escape into the forest, and a dog.

Kentucky Shakespeare’s Globe Players

Romeo and Juliet

Directed by Kyle Ware

July 29-August 2

Kentucky Shakespeare’s Globe Players professional training program takes the stage, presenting Shakespeare’s beloved tragedy, directed by Director of Education Kyle Ware. The cast is comprised of students from multiple area high schools and the production is the culmination of a five-week training program.

Louisville Ballet

Shakespeare in Dance

August 5-9

The final week of the summer season, Louisville Ballet returns for a tenth season to present an original dance piece from choreographer Roger Creel, inspired by Shakespeare.

ASL interpretation will be provided for the following performances: Thursday, June 4 for As You Like It, Thursday, June 25 for Antony and Cleopatra, Thursday, July 9 for The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Thursday, July 30 for the Globe Players Romeo and Juliet. (If show canceled due to inclement weather, the makeup rain date will be the following evening – Friday.)

DESIGNERS

Eric Allgeier (Scenic Designer)

Laura Ellis (Sound Designer)

Lindsay Krupski (Lighting Designer)

Donna Lawrence-Downs (Costume Designer)

Sam Powers (Properties)

Eric Frantz (Fight Choreographer, Antony and Cleopatra)

Justin Jackson (Fight Choreographer, As You Like It)

Mollie Murk (Dance Choreographer, The Two Gentlemen of Verona)

Hannah Pruitt (Intimacy Director)

Gregory Maupin (Dramaturg/Editor)

2026 ACTING COMPANY

Mary Baunjoko • Zachary Burrell • Sasha Cifuentes • Razaria-Denae Copeland • Kate Drury • Marquise Hillman • Jon Huffman • Justin Jackson • Tom Luce • Abigail Bailey Maupin • Gregory Maupin • Mollie Murk • Neill Robertson • Shaquille Towns • Kyle Ware • Nick Wills • Crystian Wiltshire