Summer To-Do: Shakespeare in the Park

A warm summer breeze, an open bottle of wine, men in tights... it's a midsummer night's dream, or, Shakespeare in the Park. Whether you're a longtime fan of The Bard or have fuzzy memories of that one high school English class, get thee to this summer tradition. The tradition goes back to 1954 (well, 1599 if you want to get technical), when a few New York visionaries wanted to make Shakespeare theater as free and accessible as library books. Well, turns out people love free stuff and outdoor drinking, so the idea was a hit and has since caught on with communities all over the world. So without further ado, here's our list of the best FREE 2019 Shakespeare in the Park festivals in the US. Pack a picnic and bring your kin. New York, NY – The grand dame of Shakespeare in the park and the one that started it all. Since 1962, over five million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The New York Shakespeare Festival runs May through August and offers two shows: May/June catch Much Ado About Nothing staged with an incredible all black cast! and July/August is Coriolanus, a riveting political epic of democracy and demagoguery. Ah, art imitating life. Asheville, NC – On a campy-but-lovable Olde English stage,The Montford Park Players put on North Carolina’s longest running free Shakespeare Festival. Prepare with bug spray or our new Debug clothes. Kansas City, MO – Does it get better than sonnets and BBQ? Kansas' City's Heart of America Shakespeare Festival knows how to party. This season's show is Shakespeare in Love (we're sensing a pattern...) and you can reserve your seating online beforehand. Boston, MA – The 24th season of Boston’s Commonwealth Shakespeare Company goes off at the Parkman Bandstand 6 days a week. This year's show is the little known mystical dramedy, Cymbeline, about the fates of King Cymbeline's family. Expect mistaken identities, twists and turns, and the all-consuming quest for true love. Louisville, KY – Coming in at the most ambitious company, The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival is putting on no less that 7 different productions. No tickets required, and dogs are welcome. All of Louisville's a stage... Buffalo, NY – Mark your cal for June 20th when the 44^th summer season of Shakespeare in Delaware Park kicks off. The first half of the summer will bring The Tempest and late July switches to Love’s Labour’s Lost (the story of a king and his comrades who swear off women for three years... hilarity ensues.) Dallas, TX – Park your lawn chairs at Shakespeare Dallas’s series at Samuell Grand Park, now in its 48^th season. Catch Shakespeare in Love (not technically by Shakespeare but hey, it's on theme) and As You Like It, a classic rom com where “Love is merely a madness…” San Francisco, CA – A little different than the traditional set-up, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival actually travels to 5 different venues throughout the Bay Area. This year they're toting a musical version of As You Like It from June – September. Los Angeles area, CA – From San Pedro to Hermosa Beach to Torrance to Venice (and many stops in between), Shakespeare by the Sea makes the rounds. This season catch The Comedy of Errors (two young visitors arrive in the city unaware that their long-lost twins already live there), and Henry V (Shakespeare’s most patriotic and inspiring play tells of a young King Henry V who seeks to unite his beloved England). Gird your loins and your flip flops. Seattle, WA – In the mood for some hormone-induced teen romance? Romeo & Juliet is calling your name. Love the idea of love triangle in Elizabethan drag? Twelfth Night is for you. Get your fill as the Seattle Shakespeare Company tours the Puget Sound region all summer. But what will you wear?!