What's onstage at Shakespeare Theaters in July

If it’s summer then it must be Shakespeare time! Our theater partners across the United States are offering lots of opportunities to enjoy Shakespeare indoors and outside. Check out what’s playing in July—and beyond this summer. What do you hope to see?

At the Folger

At the Folger, we’re keeping things cool with highlights from our collection on view in the Shakespeare and Rose Exhibition Halls, including our special exhibition, How To Be a Power Player: Tudor Edition, which invites visitors into a world of lace ruffs, jousting, hawks, bad handwriting, scandal, and political factions. Experience the playbooks, the people, and the spectacular fails, as courtiers tried to navigate the minefield of working for a boss who could shower you with riches or chop off your head. The exhibition features more than 60 objects from the Folger’s collection to demonstrate the “rules” for how to be a successful courtier. How to Be a Power Player must close on August 10. Two special events this month offer cool drinks and refreshing conversation: on July 11, Cocktails and Conversation with John Douglas Thompson and Daniela Varon, hosted by Folger Director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper, features leading American Shakespearean actor John Douglas Thompson and theater director and Shakespearean acting specialist Daniela Varon speaking on the solo performance piece that they are co-creating as part of their Artistic Research Fellowships at the Folger. This piece, with the working title Shakespeare in Sable—inspired in part by Errol Hill’s pioneering 1984 book of that name—interweaves the story of Thompson’s unexpected and unconventional journey to becoming a classical actor with the history of Black Shakespearean actors, primarily in America and the United Kingdom, from the 19th and 20th centuries to the present day. On July 26, Cocktails and Conversation with Michael W. Twitty, features the acclaimed writer, culinary historian, and educator talking about the complex history of rice cultivation, the early modern American South, and the enduring connection between foodways and culture. And don’t forget that all the beverages in our Quill & Crumb cafe can be served iced!

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Follow the yellow brick road in a delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale, The Wizard of Oz, featuring the iconic musical score from the MGM film. The timeless tale, in which young Dorothy Gale travels from Kansas over the rainbow to the magical Land of Oz, is a thrill for audiences ages 5+. Performs July 9–August 17.

American Players Theatre

American Players Theatre—recently named by Newsweek readers as one of the best outdoor theaters—is staging eight shows in repertory this summer in the woods of rural southwest Wisconsin. Four plays are performing indoors at the Touchstone Theatre and four plays are playing outdoors at the Hill Theatre, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream—the play that opened APT in 1980. Other plays performing in June and July: Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels, William Inge’s Picnic, Art by Yasmina Reza, and the world premiere of The Death of Chuck Brown by Gavin Dillon Lawrence. Pre-show picnicking is a tradition! Performances run through October 5, with new plays coming in August.

Atlanta Shakespeare Company

A fairy King and Queen come across four runaway lovers and a gaggle of amateur actors trying to rehearse a play in the forest. The magical royal couple meddles with their mortal lives, culminating in a comical cluster of confusion in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But don’t worry, we’ll get to the Bottom of it! Perfect for families and introducing someone to Shakespeare! On stage July 5—27.

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

CSC In-The-Ruins outdoor performances at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park, CSC’s summer home in Historic Ellicott City, returns for its 21st season with a fierce and fast-moving Julius Caesar, transforming a timeless political thriller into a midsummer pleasure under the stars. The Ellicott City site’s weathered stone makes a prime canvas for conspiracy, crafting a Capitol that is as extraordinary as it is unraveling. Kids get in free, and guests are encouraged to bring picnics and wine—or reserve one of the popular Family or Date-Night tables. Through July 20.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater

The world-famous Circus Abyssinia comes to Chicago and astounds with heart-stopping acrobatics, stunning feats of juggling, high-flying hilarity, and death-defying tricks—all set to the irresistible beats of Ethiopian music. Performs July 10t through August 3.  Billie Jean, the world premiere of an electrifying new play about Billie Jean King, written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Marc Bruni (The Great Gatsby, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), follows her path to becoming a sports icon. From her record-breaking victories to her relentless fight for equal pay and equal rights, Billie Jean explores the cost of public battles and private struggles—bringing us closer than ever before to a woman whose battle for identity and equality inspired and continues to inspire generations. On stage July 18 through August 10. Shakes in the City returns with a free, fun-for-all-ages Midsummer Night’s Dream. Performing in parks across Chicago July 19 through August 17.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

It’s Opening Night at the Cornley Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, and the stakes have never been higher. But none of the on-stage drama is in the script! The theater is filled with accident-prone actors, a corpse that can’t play dead to save his life, and a knocked-out knock out of a leading lady. Can this theater company make it to Opening Night and bring down the house (in a good way)? The Play That Goes Wrong is back and the age-old adage is true: “the show must go wrong!” oops sorry, we mean “the show must go on!” On stage July 18 through August 10.

Classic Theatre of Maryland

In Moliere’s outrageous comedy, The Imaginary Invalid, Argan, a wealthy man and hypochondriac, wishes to marry off his daughter Angélique to a doctor. His daughter refuses to obey, she is given four days to agree or become a nun, and the entire household comedically attempts to change her father’s mind. Performing Tuesdays in the outdoor courtyard at Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis. Through August 26.

Colorado Shakespeare Festival

While the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre is being renovated, this summer’s productions perform indoors in the Roe Green Theatre on the CU Boulder campus. Magic, romance and intrigue swirl on the exiled Prospera’s island when she summons a storm to take vengeance on her betrayers in The Tempest. As her ethereal servant Ariel thwarts the vengeful schemes of the enslaved ‘monster’ Caliban, her usurper’s son falls in love with her daughter, the innocent Miranda. Performs through August 10. Richard II, the first chapter of Shakespeare’s four-part “game of thrones,” examines issues critical to contemporary politics, from the embrace of autocracy, the power of wealth, and whether a nation divided can stand. Begins July 5 and continues through August 10.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

Free Shakespeare is back on Boston Common with this summer’s production of As You Like It. After her father’s kingdom is seized by his power-hungry brother, Rosalind and her cousin Celia flee in disguise, seeking refuge in the Forest of Arden where they find new freedom and wisdom about love, family, community, and acceptance. Shakespeare’s lush romantic comedy celebrates the joys and follies of human nature and the beauty of creating one’s own sanctuary, even in the face of great tyranny. Performances July 23—August 10.

Door Shakespeare

Shipwrecked on a foreign shore, Viola begins a secret new life and discovers that she is not the only one hiding something in Twelfth Night, which performs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Shakespeare’s beloved comedy is in rep with Charles Dickens’ classic, Great Expectations. A life-changing encounter launches Pip’s journey to find love, forgiveness, and redemption. Door Shakespeare’s 25th season of performances runs July 2—August 16.

Houston Shakespeare Festival

In Henry V, a young king boldly claims the French throne and rises to take his place in history. From the trenches of the battlefield to the royal courts of France, King Henry faces impossible odds on his ambitious quest to become a true leader. Performs July 31, August 2, 4, 6, and 8. The search for true love takes Rosalind and Orlando on separate journeys into the enchanting Forest of Arden in As You Like It. In the woods, each seeks refuge and adventure only to discover a wonderous world of wit, friendship, transformation, and imagination. Performs August 1,5, 7, and 9.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare

One of Shakespeare’s most madcap comedies, A Comedy of Errors follows two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, who unknowingly cross paths many years later. Their encounters spark a whirlwind of mayhem, leading to a series of escalating comic misadventures. In rep with Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, the play that inspired the musical Hello Dolly! Wilder’s comic masterpiece is a delightful exploration of love, adventure, and the pursuit of happiness, set against the All-American backdrop of business and commerce. On stage through August 3.

Idaho Shakespeare Festival

Award-winning farce Noises Off sneaks a hysterical backstage peek at a production on the precipice of pandemonium, testing the limits of the adage “the show must go on.” Through July 5. Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, inspired by the painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by George Seurat, merges past and present into beautiful, poignant truths about life, love and the creation of art. On stage July 11 through August 2.

Illinois Shakespeare Festival

Fairies conjure magic and cast spells on unwitting humans as they attempt to navigate love and rehearse a play in the woods outside Athens in Shakespeare’s most famous comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream in rep with his most famous tragedy, Hamlet, in which the prince seeks the truth about his father’s death while embarking on a quest to discover his purpose. Rounding out the rep, The Importance of Being Earnest, widely regarded as one of the funniest plays ever written, which lampoons British high society while showcasing a bevy of witty characters as they attempt to unravel the identity of a mysterious man named “Earnest.” This year’s Theatre for Young Audiences production, Who’s There?!?, is a 40-minute romp exploring Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in a free family-friendly production. On stage through August 2.

The Old Globe

All’s Well That Ends Well, one of Shakespeare’s wittiest comedies, comes to life on the Globe’s outdoor stage. Helena is in love with the aristocrat Bertram, while he’s more interested in running off to war. But strong-willed Helena can’t be deterred and moves mountains and conjures miracles to gain his affection. Through July 6. In The Odyssey, Penelope’s long wait is rewarded when her husband Odysseus returns home 20 years after leaving to fight in the Trojan War. Will the same be true for Jane in modern-day Brooklyn, 20 years after her husband left for work one fateful September morning? The world premiere of The Janeiad marks the Globe’s third collaboration with playwright Anna Ziegler. Through July 13. Noises Off is a brilliant and uproarious backstage comedy that pulls back the curtain on a theatre company struggling to keep its production from falling apart. Forgotten lines, misplaced props, and romantic entanglements lead to total chaos with doors slamming and sardines flying, in a whirlwind of slapstick hilarity. Performs July 6—August 3. Merriment and mayhem come to life in Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy, The Comedy of Errors. Immediately after arriving in a new town, a young man and his sidekick are mistaken for their own long-lost twins, and everyone’s lives are turned upside down as mistaken identities, confused lovers, and all kinds of shenanigans ensue. On stage July 27—August 24.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

OSF’s 90th season welcomes new productions to the rep: Octavio Solis’s Quixote Nuevo, a highly theatrical work infusing Tejano culture and vibrant music into a modern comic adaptation of the Spanish novel Don Quixote, beginning July 9; Karen Zacarías’s Shane, a culturally authentic adaptation of the 1947 Western novel that still manages to challenge commonly held ideas (and ideals) about the American West, beginning July 31. They join productions of August Wilson’s masterwork, Jitney, performing through July 20; Into the Woods, one of OSF’s most successful productions, returns for a perfect evening of theater under the Ashland stars, through October 11; The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare’s domestic comedy, is an evening of food, dancing, and dirty laundry, through October 12; a song-filled, 1960s-infused production of the Shakespearean comedy As You Like It and Oscar Wilde’s witty comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, is transplanted to the Malay Peninsula, both through October 25; Shakespeare’s famed political thriller, Julius Caesar, features a bold all-female and nonbinary cast illuminating ancient themes of power, loyalty, and betrayal, through October 26.

Portland Shakespeare Project

In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock asks for a pound of flesh as part of a loan contract, Bassonio agrees to it, and Portia saves the day by disguising her identity and pretending to practice the law. No one dies, although Shylock loses his money, his property, and his religion. In a modern verse translation by Elise Thoron, part of Play On Shakespeare, the production centers around love, money, prejudice, and social injustice as it forces us to consider antisemitism and racism then and now. Performs July 10—20.

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival

In The Two Gentlemen of Verona, two young men journey from a small Midwestern town to California, where dreams are made and shattered in equal measure. The two friends who venture westward confront their inner conflicts as they are seduced by the possibilities of love, success and reinvention. Grounded in the spirit of exploration, this adaptation captures the quintessential drive for self invention, while acknowledging the costs that often accompany it. The 43rd season of Free Shakespeare in the Park, with performances in Cupertino, Redwood City, and San Francisco, July 19—September 21.

Shakespeare Notre Dame

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (NDSF), the professional theatre in residence at the University of Notre Dame, the theater is presenting ShakeScenes, a perennial audience favorite featuring performances by community members of all ages, on July 19. It’s followed by Shakespeare After Hours, the raucous adults-only night of unrestrained Shakespearean tomfoolery, with two performances on July 25.

Shakespeare Dallas

It’s season 53 for Shakespeare in the Park! Summer productions are: The Importance of Being Earnest, the story of two men who assume the identities of a fictional man named Ernest which leads them to fall in love and encounter an assortment of problems along the way. It performs through July 18, in rep with Othello. Not only Venice’s greatest general but now husband to the noble and beautiful Desdemona, Othello is at the peak of his powers. But he does not know that in passing over his servant Iago for promotion, he has created a deadly—but brilliant—enemy. Performing through July 20.

Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

“All 37 Plays in 99 Minutes!” That’s the promise of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]. Fasten your seat belts for a high-energy, slapstick rollercoaster ride through Shakespeare’s entire canon! Three madcap actors scamper their hapless way through all the comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances in one hysterical, fast-paced, and irreverent evening that will leave you rolling in the aisles with laughter. Two free youth tickets available with purchase of one adult ticket! On stage July 9–27.

SPARC Theatre

This summer’s production blends laughter, wit, and the charm of two incredible locations with performances of Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor. Shakespeare’s rollicking comedy follows the misadventures of the infamous Sir John Falstaff as he attempts to woo two wealthy women at the same time—only to be outwitted at every turn. Packed with clever schemes, hilarious disguises, and plenty of comeuppance. Performing in Livermore July 3–27 outdoors at Darcie Kent Vineyards and August 8–24 indoors at Danville’s Village Theatre.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

Have you ever wondered what happens when the Zoo closes and the keepers go home for the night? What if the animals put on their very own Shakespearean performance?! This family-friendly performance produced exclusively for the Saint Louis Zoo, is adapted from the award-winning graphic novel The Stratford Zoo Midnight Revue Presents Romeo and Juliet by Ian Lendler, Romeo and Zooliet tells the story of animals mounting their own production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, with the Montagues herbivores and the Capulets carnivores. Can Romeo, a prairie dog, and Juliet, a grizzly bear, cross the biological divide and become best friends? Performances at the Saint Louis Zoo July 8 through August 17.

Theatricum

The 2025 Summer Repertory Season, described as A Season of Resilience following the Palisades Fire, includes: Much Ado About Nothing (through September 13) and the return of Theatricum’s signature production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (through September 15), along with Strife (through October 4), in which Nobel Prize-winning writer and activist John Galsworthy remarkably shows every point of view as the corporation and workers consider untenable options in 1890s Pennsylvania, amidst the industrial unrest and labor movements of America’s Gilded Age, and The Seagull: Malibu, Retold by Ellen Geer from The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, transported to the sun-soaked yet tumultuous shores of 1970s Malibu, California (July 12–October 5).

Utah Shakespeare Festival

The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 64th season is open with productions of: Shakespeare’s dark and tragic Macbeth, the historical romance Antony and Cleopatra, and the pastoral comedy As You Like It in the outdoor Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, and in the indoor Randall L. Jones Theatre, Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, the Tony Award-winning musical comedy A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder by Steven Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman, and the Victorian satire The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. In the intimate Anes Studio Theatre, patrons can enjoy the World War II love story Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise, a week-long traveling production of Twelfth Night by the students of London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) at the end of July, and two new plays––one of which is Lauren M. Gunderson’s Muse of Fire––for the annual Words Cubed staged reading new play program during August. Performances through October 4.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival, American Players Theatre,  Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Classic Theatre of Maryland, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Commonwealth Theatre Company, Door Shakespeare, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, The Old Globe, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Shakespeare Project, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Dallas, Shakespeare Notre Dame, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, SPARC Theater, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Theatricum, and Utah Shakespeare Festival are members of the Folger’s Theater Partnership Program.