Shakespeare in NEPA

I have a friend with whom I have a sort of standing date: every chance we get, we will see any local performances of Shakespeare's plays. We've seen Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, and As You Like It in Bloomsburg, Twelfth Night at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke, A Midsummer Night's Dream at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, versions of Romeo and Juliet at Bucknell University in Lewisburg (in a gangster setting) and in Bloomsburg (purportedly in an Occupy Wall Street setting, though the two sides more closely resembled Hillary Clinton's "establishment" camp and Bernie Sanders' "progressive" camp,) and versions of Hamlet in Scranton performed by the New Vintage Ensemble and again at King's College (in a World War II setting) in Wilkes-Barre. (I also managed to see The Tempest at King's College by myself, due to a scheduling mix-up, and we went to see a movie theater presentation of Henry IV Part 2 at...I don't really remember where we saw it, but it was recorded at the Shakespeare's Globe, the reconstruction of the Globe Theater in London.)

We recently heard of yet another upcoming performance of Hamlet, but agreed that we were all Hamletted out for the time being. However there are some other options available. My friend sent me this notification a while back:

Gaslight Theatre Company is proud to present William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Brandi George and David Reynolds, June 22-24 and 29-30 at its theatre in the East End Centre in Wilkes-Barre...Performances will be held June 22, 23, 29, and 30 at 8 p.m. and June 24 at 3 p.m. Tickets ($15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors, and veterans) will go on sale on June 8 and can be purchased online at www.ticketfly.com or at the door (please note tickets are not available by phone). Advanced purchases are highly recommended as seating is general admission and limited. The Box Office will open one hour prior to performances.

Then there is this from the Scranton Shakespeare Festival:

The Scranton Shakespeare Festival (SSF) announces its seventh season - an ambitious program featuring two Shakespeare comedies, two musicals, a new devised work, and its annual Youth Theatre Lab piece. Audiences will have the opportunity to catch all the shows in repertory during the festival's signature last weekend, July 27 - 29, 2018. 

For its seventh year, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival will present "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," June 28th through July 1st, and one last time July 27th. Directed by Bobby Temple, the musical will be performed at The Marketplace at Steamtown, continuing the festival's exploration of site-specific theatre, a nod to last year's "Damn Yankees" at PNC Field. 

Randolph Curtis Rand returns to the festival to direct an abridged, four-person version of Shakespeare's "Tempest," double-billed with Brenna Geffers' devised work "Sycorax," specially commissioned by the festival and inspired by a character briefly mentioned in "Tempest." "Tempest/Sycorax" will go on July 6th through July 8th, and July 28th at Scranton Prep. 

"As You Like It," directed by festival newcomer Emma Rosa Went, will go up the following weekend, July 13th through July 15th, as well as July 29th, at Scranton Prep. 

The festival's second musical, "Footloose," directed by Artistic Director Michael Bradshaw Flynn, will perform July 19th through July 22nd, and July 29th, at Scranton Prep. 

The Youth Theatre Lab is set to perform its original adaptation of "Hansel & Gretel" July 7th, 14th and 21st, at Scranton Prep. 

As in previous years, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival continues to push boundaries and expand its reach, exploring a variety of relevant themes and echoing national conversations on challenging the status quo and the youth movement sweeping the country. 

The Scranton Shakespeare Festival is a not-for-profit, government-recognized 501 (c)3 organization. Founded by a board of local community members and theatre professionals who hail from Northeastern Pennsylvania region, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival is now in its seventh season of professional theatre that is free to the public. SSF is made possible by the generosity of local businesses and institutions, the support of grants of both state and national standing, the dedication of our talented company of actors and technicians reigning from Northeast Pennsylvania, New York City, Philadelphia, and beyond, but most importantly through the patronage and donations of our community.

There is also a single Shakespeare in the Park performance of Macbeth on Saturday, June 23 at Riverside Park in Tunkhannock at 7:00 PM.

So, we have options when in comes to Shakespeare in Northeastern Pennsylvania this Summer!