See You in the Park this Summer!

Feb 9

2 min read

Kentucky Shakespeare Announces 65th Season in Central Park A preview by Kate Barry

It might be winter but thoughts of summer are in the air. This summer marks The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s 65th season at C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater in Central Park in Old Louisville. The summer festival will run May 28th until August 10th. And the season offers a wide range, from his most haunting tragedy to his laugh out loud comedies.

“We are excited to share another thrilling season of free performances in Central Park, full of comedy, drama, and adventure for the 65th season of your Kentucky Shakespeare Festival! The 2025 eleven-week season features fifty-eight performances, six productions, all presented absolutely free to the community,” said Matt Wallace, Producing Artistic Director. “We’ll kick off the main stage season the popular romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing, followed by electrifying masterpiece Hamlet, and Shakespeare’s inventive fairy tale Cymbeline, last performed on our stage in 1982. The season again features two weeks of rotating repertory in July in which all three productions will rotate nightly.”

The Festival’s professional training program for local high school students, The Globe Players, will present the gender bending comedy of mistaken identity, Twelfth Night. Louisville Ballet will serve up romantic dreams with Shakespeare in Dance: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And comedy fans can enjoy the humorous stylings of the Louisville Improvisers as they return for their 10th season of Late Night Shakes after select performances. Performing groups and artists from the community will provide pre-show entertainment starting at 7:15 on a nightly basis. And The Kids Globe Tent will be back, providing pre-show activities for younger patrons. ASL interpretation services will be available at select performances.

Kentucky Shakespeare Festival will continue this summer as the longest running non-ticketed Shakespeare festival in the country. The ensemble is packed with familiar festival favorites who are sure to deliver blockbuster performances under the stars. Whether it’s Benedick and Beatrice squabbling into loves embrace, Hamlet mortal contemplation of “to be or not to be” or Cymbeline’s Happy Ever After, the Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth has a summer season that you cannot miss!

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare Directed by Matt Wallace May 28-June 15; July 16, 19, 22, 25 (no performances on Mondays or Tuesdays in June)

Hamlet By William Shakespeare Directed by Amy Attaway June 19-29; July 15, 18, 23, 26 (no performances on Mondays or Tuesdays in June)

Cymbeline By William Shakespeare Directed by Matt Wallace July 3, 5, 6, 8-13; July 17, 20, 24, 27 Kentucky Shakespeare’s Globe Players Twelfth Night Directed by Kyle Ware July 30- August 3

Louisville Ballet Shakespeare in Dance: A Midsummer Night’s Dream August 6-10

Louisville Improvisors Late Night ShakesI Improvised Shakespeare 10:30PM June 14, June 28, and July 12

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