Shakespeare In The Park

The perfect summer activity! It’s free, and has a really high production value. Sometimes, Shakespeare can be hard to understand, but the actors always deliver the lines in such a way that you know what’s going on. They partner with food trucks for every performance, so you can have a delicious dinner while you enjoy a great show.

Nice, free entertainment. Even if you may not be a Shakespearean fan it is a pleasant experience. The St James neighborhood is directly nearby and you can stroll through and see all the Victorian homes.

EXCELLENT performance by the students tonite. COMEDY OF ERRORS was made especially entertaining by the servants, and brothers, and wife, and all the young actors. Congrats to all.

Ah, Shakespeare in the Park, what a wonderful program, and the oldest running free Shakespeare festival in the country! The fiancé and I saw Macbeth this year and it was a fantastic production. The witches were, for me, the best part. They were downright creepy and I absolutely loved it! The new built in benches definitely made the experience more enjoyable (thanks, donors!) and I appreciated the variety of food trucks available. For the record, I got some yummy pork nachos from J. Goodwins which does not have a Unilocal!page but gets a solid 3 star rating from me (you have to make your own tortilla chips if you want that 4^th star, man!)
It was hella hot but it didn’t dampen our enjoyment of the play. Needless to say, we’ll be frequenting more often next summer!

This is the oldest outdoor Shakespeare production venue in the US! The festival runs through the summer at Louisville ’ s Central Park. My fiancé and I saw Macbeth this past Friday, and it was an amazing production. The 3 Witches were the best part, they really had a great take on the characters and had them pop up in the background during scene changes which was a nice effect. All in all, one of the best live Shakespeare performances I’ve seen.
The new benches defiantly helped in making the show a comfortable experience. They also sell beverages at the park, and have a few local food trucks (I got some pulled pork tacos from J. Goodwins).
We’re hoping to catch the Tempest and Taming of the Shrew this week. Can’t 2ait for next season!

Shakespeare in the Park is one of my favorite summer traditions in Louisville (along with Waterfront Wednesdays and the summer movie series at the Palace). It’s a truly unique experience, with professional performances, in a gorgeous park, and it’s FREE. We’re lucky to have the longest-​running free Shakespeare in the Park program in the country; this is the 55^th year!
There are so many different ways to do Shakespeare in the Park: plop down on one of the provided benches, bring a lawn chair or a blanket, grab one of the picnic tables so your group has plenty of space to spread out your food and drinks (this is my preference). It’s the perfect activity, no matter the group you’re with. Last night, a friend and I had a double date with our moms (Macbeth was awesome!). You can’t go wrong with a bunch of friends. It’s also a great [and romantic without being cheesy!] place to bring a date.
You can bring your own food (but you’re no longer allowed to bring your own alcohol — there’s a decent & affordable selection at Will’s Tavern, though), but there are also food trucks on site. They rotate daily, but the dessert truck is always there (get a homemade «cookiewich» — best ice-​cream sandwiches ever!).
For some reason, photographs of the performers on stage aren’t allowed. I don’t really understand that in this day of social-​media, but whatever. They put on a kickass Shakespeare production for free; if they don’t want me to take pictures, I won’t. Shrug.
And don’t forget to check out the awesome merch. I love all the t-​shirts! And the koozies come in handy…

This is one of the coolest traditions that I have experienced in Louisville. It makes you feel like you are watching theater the way Shakespeare knew it, the way Shakespeare intended it. Located in Central Park in Old Louisville in an outdoor theater, the KY Shakespeare Company puts on an incredible show.
I have seen more changes in the last two years with the new management. Updated theater lights, better sound system, new benches for the audience. The plays get better and better every year, and you can tell the Shakespeare troupe truly enjoys what they do. Not only do they make this fun, they make Shakespeare understandable and enjoyable. I can’t wait to go back for the next show.

This is a fantastic opportunity to see a live performance for FREE! I saw the traveling production of Macbeth and Hamlet at Emerson Park right behind my house. They were very well-​acted and entertaining with a limited set/​costumes. So I was thrilled to see Taming of the Shrew at Central Park with a full set and beautiful costumes! The actors were all great! The script was hilarious and the atmosphere was delightful! I didn’t drink, but they offer Brown Forman spirits and some cool beers for a reasonable price. The food trucks are a great way to try a new place too! We were very comfortable on the new benches! I will be back for the Tempest!

1) Remember that weekends are more crowded. Go during a week day and there is a lot more room to spread out.
2) Go early to the food trucks. They’re pretty popular so they tend to run out of items if the crowd is big.
3) Go early as there is usually some preshow entertainment. Also, go early to find a good parking spot that won’t have you walking all over Louisville to find it.
4) Don’t worry about understanding Shakespearean English. The actors speak very clearly and it’s very easy to follow along.
This has been one of the highlights of being stationed here! I’m so glad we found it!

For free, it cannot be beaten. By anything anywhere.
Will see many more as often as they are produced.
Make sure you get there early to grab a good seat and a good parking spot. I usually park over by the tennis courts.
Also, take camping chairs, just in case.
Also also, for the guys, this is a great place to take your lady on a date. When you have a warm summer evening, and you’re watching Shakespeare, and the lightning bugs come out, all with the backdrop of beautiful Central Park… It really is magical.

This is one of the best activities to do during the summer in Louisville. I went several times when I first moved here and the comeback of the productions this summer was such a treat. I saw Henry V a few weeks ago and loved it despite it not being one of my favorites of Shakespeare’s works. The acting, costumes and ambiance were perfect. You can tell the cast and Matt Wallace have really worked hard to make this summer special. I loved that they asked a group from Down Syndrome of Louisville to perform beforehand. What a lovely way to include other community groups! I wish I had known the food trucks would be there. We had fun bringing snacks of our own but I love the food truck addition to the experience.

I can’t praise the Ky Shakes comeback enough! Matt Wallace and his staff have really gone above and beyond to make this summer unforgettable.
I coach the Down Syndrome of Louisville dance team that Matt invited to perform as the pre-​show for Midsummer Night’s Dream, and they not only had the time of their lives performing, they were in complete stitches during the show. They had a blast and couldn’t wait to recap the plot for me. It was such a wonderful night of theatre.
We got invited to come back and perform for Henry V, and Matt even did a Shakespeare workshop with my crew beforehand. It was so special and inspiring to see them soak in his knowledge. It was a treat for me to see all of the same company members playing new characters in this show, all are extremely talented and versatile.
Keep in mind, these are folks who didn’t know there was free Shakespeare available until I told them we were going to perform. The Ky Shakes team has reached into the community to get these opening acts/​food trucks/​vendors and in turn has revived the organization.
YAY THEATRE!

Best season ever! Congrats to director Matt Wallace. Wow to 10 weeks 56 plays. What energy and entertainment. Don’t miss FREE WILL! If you don’t know Will, you will quickly love him.

Incredible performance!
Admittedly I am not a true fan of Shakespearean tragedy but to say the least I was completely blow away. Nothing what I expected.
I’ve never seen such skilled live performance before.
We arrived just 2 minutes before the play was to begin realizing we forgot to bring chairs or blankets.
The seating seemed completely packed but some how we found two empty seats on the very front row. (Very very lucky, remember to bring foldable chairs!)
They offered adult as well as soft beverages, food, and Deseret all for a reasonable price. I did not get a chance to browse but was informed they also had a gift shop.
This evening they were playing Hamlet which took course over 2 and ½ hours including an intermission which we used to get drinks and use the restroom.
The weather was perfect along with the evening, not to mention the event was free!
Could not have asked for anything different making Shakespeare in the park a TRUE 5 star experience!

The cast is AMAZING. My boyfriend and I went to watch Hamlet and were both very impressed. He’s not much of a Shakespeare fan, but I’m familiar with his plays and Hamlet is my favorite. I was very impressed with the actors’ abilities to convey the humor and tragedy of the show.
The stage and set was awesome, the weather was beautiful and it was free! I would recommend bringing a blanket or folding chairs to sit on because it was hard to find a seat.

Last week, during the Elite event was my first experience at Shakespeare in the Park and we watched Midsummer Night’s Dream. I went back last night for the Henry V preview with my children and loved it also. We plan to go to all 8 shows this summer so we got our passports stamped last night as well as our Cultural Passes. I recommend at least checking out one of the shows this summer even if you aren’t a big Shakespeare fan. It’s funny and it always amazes me how difficult it must be to memorize all of those lines.

I was disappointed they cancelled a bunch of shows and they really didn’t specify anywhere that the show we went to was high schoolers putting on Taming of the Shrew.
But other than that, the show was well done and awesome. I enjoyed watching the show, the seats were nice, and my friend and I had a lot of fun. The set was very nice and used well throughout the performance.

This is from a guest performers stand point.
I was part of the Rocky Horror shadow cast for their monday night series showing the cult classic. As guest performers, we were given access to the stage, naturally, but also the Equity trailer… which boasts air conditioning, lights and mirrors and a flush-​y toilet. Use of the fancy trailer was a perk we didn’t expect. It was wonderful.
The crowd was great for the movie/​show. And it was fun to run around the Shakespeare stage.

Free, unabridged Shakespeare plays in the park every summer. Plain and simple, Kentucky Shakespeare is a gift from the city’s arts community and philanthropists to the us, the wretched masses. They offer well-​executed productions on great sets by quality actors who clearly have fun with the work, and they haven’t skipped a beat in over 50 years.
You won’t think you’re suddenly transformed to Broadway, but this is no run-​of-​the-​mill community theater either. The production quality is excellent, and although you might occasionally miss some dialogue thanks to a passing siren or some neighborhood yo-​yo shooting off firecrackers, it rarely detracts from the play. In fact, watching the fireflies, birds and bats, and listening to the katydids is a vital part of the atmosphere. People bring chairs and have picnics. It’s hard to imagine the plays anywhere but Central Park. And because the plays are free, the crowds that gather here are a wonderful cross-​section of the community. This is one thing Louisville absolutely gets right.
As I write this, Kentucky Shakespeare is weathering the backlash following news that it had to cut short its production run of «Twelfth Night» when the leading actor resigned and filed a restraining order against her husband, the artistic director, and the company placed the director on administrative leave. This latest soap opera comes on the heels of a period when the organization pulled itself out of debt with heavy lifting from Brown-​Forman all the while unveiling a general plan to create a larger summer festival. Love’s Labour’s Lost? (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) Probably not. Kentucky Shakespeare is accustomed to weathering storms. Every summer they contend with nasty, unpredictable July weather. And what’s Shakespeare without a little drama?

«Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I né’er saw true beauty till this night.” — William Shakespeare
This quote sums up this FREE Shakespeare in the Park experience. This outdoor amphitheater has nice benches that people may come and watch local productions of Shakespeare and other artists during the Summer. There is a very short show season, normally running from the beginning of July through August. There will be typically two to three Shakespeare shows performed by local actors or high school students Tuesday-​Sunday. Most shows start around 830pm, but they have a Facebook that will post any weather delays.
Other then Shakespeare, this venue offers a Monday Movie schedule that will show classic/​cult movies. The theater offers a full bar with frozen drinks and snack bar. There are souvenir T-​shirts if you want to support the company and remember your experience. The venue even offers VIP seating in an Adirondack chairs for a small $ 20 that includes waiter service and upfront entertainment. If you arrive early, most of the performances will have other local artists preforming for what they call Happy Hour. Happy Hour usually starts around 7pm and you receive drink deals and anything from a musical guest to an improvisation troupe.
I would definitely pay for the Al fresco experience, but it’s all free to watch. By any other name, combining all these theater elements in any other venue would still be as sweet.