At a Glance

Everything to know about the Festival.

On a midsummer evening in 2003, as the sun began to set, the stars came out and took the stage to perform William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . With this inaugural production, the Delaware Shakespeare Festival became a reality.

Current Programs and Activities

The 2006 Delaware Shakespeare Festival presents Much Ado About Nothing :  The best place to watch theatre in the summer is out doors.  Our talented company breathes new life into classic works, while the audience picnics in the temperate midsummer evening.  This annual theatre arts celebration is highlighted with the production of one of Shakespeare's works.  Previous Festivals have included A Midsummer Night's Dream (2003), As You Like It (2004) and Love's Labour's Lost (2005).  The Festival has expanded beyond just the main production to include more events and activities:

Live Music	Our strolling minstrels add to the festivities on the grounds prior to the show
Show Orientation	Actors in the production meet with the audience prior to the show and discuss the plot and background information. They also any questions the audience members my have about the Festival.
The Pre-show	We offer a satirical look at the Bard. Motley players race through one or many of Shakespeare's plays at a hilarious pace.
Stage Combat Demonstration	On Family Matinee Days, trained stage combat performers offer our younger guests an amusing and entertaining portrayal of theatrical swordplay.
Children’s Activities	On Family Matinee Days, arts and crafts activities are provided for children. Using crayons, glitter and some imagination, young ones can create their own masks, similar to the ones worn in the play.

 

School Visits Program: A DSF company member visits the classroom to break down students’ inhibitions about Shakespeare. In-class exercises help students overcome the language difficulties and make the text approachable. Group scene-work then allows the students to practice putting their understanding of the script into action in a mini-scene for the rest of the class. The class ends with a question and answer session.

Serving our Community

We provide an outlet to experience Shakespeare the way it was intended. Our directors strive to make the play accessible so the context of the story can be appreciated by modern audiences. Above all, we aim to dispel the belief that classical theatre is difficult, by making the experience enjoyable and engaging.

We currently serve the community through our Festival in July and August. We present one of Shakespeare's plays, and have fun with music, a comedic pre-show, and picnicking.

The future of the Delaware Shakespeare Festival includes expanding this format to include multiple productions spread over the summer months. We also plan to formalize our ability to provide schools with a small traveling performance troupe. Their mission will be to enhance student's understanding of the Bard's works.