Cleveland Shakespeare Festival

The Scene
In its short history the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival surpasssed expectations in its popularity. Far from being turned off by Old English syntax, local audiences appreciated the poetry and drama in the plays written by the world's best-known bard. The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival has featured "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Edward III: The King and the Countess" (directed by company founder and executive director David Frydrychowski), and "Henry V."

The Play's Not Only the Thing
Not only is the acting in the Cleveland Shakespeare Festival considered first-rate, the pageantry and the sets also dress to impress. Performances are held at roving venues, in the outdoors; in their premiere season it was behind the Mather Memorial Building at Case Western Reserve University. Then they took their act to busy, downtown Shaker Heights. All performances are free, giving the tentative theater-goer the chance to experience a Shakespeare play for the first time.