UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — What do William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Billie Holiday and Lin-Manuel Miranda have in common?
Find out this summer at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, or PSF, May 31 through Aug. 6 at DeSales University.
- The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival will feature the work of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen and Billie Holiday
- The organization will also offer free performances of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at libraries and community centers
- The productions run from May 31 to Aug. 6 at DeSales University
PSF will offer productions of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]," "Henry IV Part 2" and "The Tempest" along with performances of contemporary works "In the Heights," "Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility," "Lady Day at the Emerson's Bar and Grill" and "James and the Giant Peach."
Tales of an aging king
PSF's season kicks off with "Henry IV, Part 2" on Wednesday, May 31.
"It's a coming of age tale. Henry IV is an aging king whose grip on power has been tenuous since he took the throne from King Richard ll. There have been a series of rebellions and all he really wants is
his son, Prince Hal to step up and be the leader he supposed to be," Jason King Jones, artistic director of the theater group, said.
Jones, who was the senior associate artistic director at the Olney Theatre Center, was hired in September 2022 in a dual leadership position with Casey William Gallagher.
Leading the play are Eli Lynn as Prince Hal, John Ahlin as Sir John Falstaff and PSF veteran actor Christopher Patrick Mullen who is returning in various roles this summer.
The performance runs through June 11 at the Schubert Theatre.
A laugh fest
The festival heads outdoors for the "Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]" starting June 28.
Originally produced by Reduced Shakespeare Company, the premise is that three well-intentioned (but misguided) actors try to take on Shakespeare's entire canon in 99 minutes.
"There's such a stigma around Shakespeare that it's inaccessible or you can only be smart to understand it — or it's old and antiquated," Jones said. "I hope that all of our work breaks down that stigma, but this play absolutely does that."
The performance runs through July 16 at the new outdoor theater space in front of the university's Trexler Library.
Showcasing diversity
PSF will present two musicals this summer.
"In the Heights," a Tony Award-winning musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, tells the story of characters in the Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.
It's directed by Valeria Cossu and has a Latino cast including Danny Bolero as Kevin, Ryan Reyes as Usnavi and Daisy Marie Lopez as Nina.
The performance dates are June 14 - July 2 on the main stage.
Relive Billie Holiday's last performance in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," a production featuring actress Ebony Pullum as the iconic singer.
Set in a Philadelphia circa 1959, Holiday narrates her own story combined with some of her most famous songs such as “God Bless the Child,” “Strange Fruit,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do.”
The performance runs from July 19 to Aug. 6 at the Schubert Theatre.
"We have artists not just from the U.S., but from multiple continents that are part of our ensemble this summer," Jones said.
"The whole idea of the programming was to bring in artists that reflect the diversity of the people who make up the Lehigh Valley."
Unlocking imaginations
A delight for all ages, "James and the Giant Peach" will take place July 7 to Aug. 5 at the Schubert Theatre.
The performance is directed by Jenna Place and based on Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story.
"I liken it to some of Shakespeare's adventure tales like 'Pericles,' where characters go off on a wild journey," Jones said. "Sometimes Shakespeare writes things that seem impossible and 'James and the Giant Peach' is a great adventure story where he goes on these impossible journeys and it's also a play that helps unlock the imagination of a young audience."
"The whole idea of the programming was to bring in artists that reflect the diversity of the people who make up the Lehigh Valley."Jason King Jones, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
Tickets are $18 for adults and $14 for children 12 and under.
Making sense of Shakespeare
Jane Austen fans will revel in PSF's adaption of "Sense and Sensibility" which tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, who are thrust into poverty and forced marriages.
"It's part of our mission to have Shakespeare at the core, but also to present other great works from great theater makers," Jones said. "Shakespeare was a revolutionary playwright of his time. He inspired so many artists to examine the world in bold and imaginative ways."
The cast includes John Austin (Willoughby), Arrianna Daniels (Marianne Dashwood), Akeem Davis (Edward Ferrars), Sarah Gliko (Elinor Dashwood) and Gina Lamparella (Mrs. Dashwood).
Shows take place July 20 to August 5 on the main stage.
Meanwhile, Shakespeare's "The Tempest" is directed by Jones and stars Robert Cuccioli as Prospero and Billie Wyatt as Miranda.
The utopian-like performance will take place July 12 to Aug. 6.
The two productions will play in repertory with the same cast, so organizers recommend people secure tickets early for the best seating options.
'Midsummer' family fun
In an effort to appeal to a wider audience, the theater organization, founded in 1992, will also host several free productions around the Valley.
"The idea for this season was to take the best of what PSF has done in the past and then infuse it with new energies and ideas," Jones said.
“Play On!” will bring the comedy "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" to libraries, parks and community centers from June 2-18.
"I realized that the festival had been doing a lot of great work, however there are still a lot of people in the community that don't know anything about PSF or don't feel that Shakespeare is for them," Jones said.
"I wanted to find an opportunity to get us off campus and into the community and the best way to do that is to bring a tour of the show into the heart of the communities in the area."
Among the 11 stops are performances at Downtown Allentown ArtsWalk Pocket Park, the Easton Farmers Market, the Lehigh Valley Children's Festival and National Museum of Industrial History.
For a complete lineup, click here.
PSF is also hosting its inaugural Community Day on July 1.
The event will feature live music, free Shakespeare productions and activities for kids. The event starts at 10 a.m. with children’s programming including story times, arts and craft, and a meet and greet with the cast of "James and the Giant Peach."
The rest of the event will kick-off at noon with food trucks, information tables and an encore performance of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the outdoor Trexler Library stage at 3 p.m.
Tickets start at $25. For info, go to pashakespeare.org.
