By Kelsey Knott • Photos by Kathryn Harrington
Around the country, educators have debated the importance of Shakespeare and whether or not to include his works in their yearly curriculum. Questions of relevancy, representation, and simply the volume of other quality literature available in today’s world sparks controversy regarding what young people could learn from texts that perhaps on the surface level, don’t seem relevant or representative of today’s human experience.
But these questions haven’t slowed down Louisville’s Kentucky Shakespeare Festival at all, as it remains the longest-running free, non-ticketed Shakespeare festival in the United States. Their vision takes the stance that “Shakespeare belongs to everyone.”
The summer of 2024 marked Kentucky Shakespeare’s 64th season, where classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Comedy of Errors, and The Tempest all made their way to the stage of Central Park’s tree-encompassed amphitheater. The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park started in the 1960s, though the players came together for the first time in 1949. Besides enjoying a free show within the beautiful park scenery, the audience also has access to local food truck vendors, drinks from Will’s Tavern, and lively pre-shows before settling into one of the permanent benches, picnic tables, or even one’s own chair or blanket in the more open areas for the show.
And whether or not you believe that Shakespeare is something you can enjoy, the backdrop of the trees behind the amphitheater in Central Park creates the perfect mystical, natural scene for a magical atmosphere to be appreciated by all as the summer months come to a close.
In the final week of their summer season, I had the pleasure of being entertained by a Shakespeare in Dance production, the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival’s collaboration with the Louisville Ballet. Choreographed by Roger Creel and scored by Scott Moore, the professional performance of King Lear made it clear why this partnership between Kentucky Shakespeare and the Louisville Ballet has continued for seven seasons after witnessing the artistry of choreography, costume, and emotion blend together and come alive on the outdoor stage. The power of the arts was clear as I watched, captivated by these timeless topics of power, jealousy, and greed becoming dangerous within complex relationships, explored masterfully through the dancers.
Producing Artistic Director, Matt Wallace, states that they “see 25,000+ people each summer in Central Park, with some of the most diverse audiences you’ll see anywhere.” Final numbers for this season served 26,785 people, the fifth highest-attended in company history and largest since 2019. There is a beautiful reciprocity created by their willingness to not only wait and wish for theater-goers to come to them but also bring it to the public in a majorly accessible way.
If you missed this summer’s festival, know that the Kentucky Shakespeare is still hard at work bringing the Bard to life year-round, whether in schools, parks, prisons, or senior citizen centers, serving more than 70 counties in their mission to “educate, inspire, and entertain diverse audiences.” Donations are a major part of what keeps educational programs, free public performances, and community programs possible, or in other words, “Keeps Will Free.”
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