2023 Shakespeare in the Parks Tour - Kentucky Shakespeare

Kentucky Shakespeare Tours HAMLET to Record 37 Parks in Annual SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS Spring Tour

Kentucky Shakespeare returns with the free SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS tour this spring. The 7-actor, 85-minute production of HAMLET will tour to multiple parks in Indiana and Kentucky this April and May.

“We’re celebrating the tenth anniversary of our Shakespeare in the Parks touring program this spring, and we’re delighted to come together again in our beautiful parks with a thrilling abridged production of Hamlet. We toured to 9 parks in the spring of 2014 and this year we’ll visit a record 37 parks with free Shakespeare in the Park! This wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our many neighborhood performance sponsors, and we remain extremely grateful for their support,” said Matt Wallace, Kentucky Shakespeare’s Producing Artistic Director. “We’ll serve many of the same parks this year throughout Louisville and the region, plus new stops in Mt. Sterling, Taylorsville, Prospect, and Bernheim Forest in Clermont and local additions of Seneca Park, Beckley Creek Park, and Ashland Park in Clarksville,” shared Wallace.

This production is directed by Amy Attaway, Kentucky Shakespeare’s Associate Artistic Director. “Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring works – the story of the prince of Denmark trying to revenge his father.” She added, “Our production sets the story in the contemporary word, making the relationships, conflicts, and themes of trust, jealousy, and ambition feel very close to the audience. The low-tech and ensemble nature of the spring tour puts the focus on the words and the actors themselves. our production puts the focus on the words and the actors themselves, allowing each audience an intimate experience with the story right in their neighborhood.”

The production features an ensemble cast of seven actors, starring Adama Abramson as Gertrude, Brennen Amonett as Hamlet, Ilana DeAngelo as Ophelia, Jared Brandt Hoover as Polonius, Chase Howard as Horatio, Jason Pavlovich as Laertes, and Louis Robert Thompson as Claudius. The ensemble cast also plays multiple other supporting characters.

The production also features set design by Eric Allgeier, sound design by Alexandra Biscardi, costume design by Donna Lawrence-Downs, and fight choreography by Eric Frantz, with Ryan Bennett as the stage manager. The script is adapted by dramaturg Gregory Maupin.

Kentucky Shakespeare will also tour the production to schools across the state, as part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Kentucky Shakespeare is one of 40 professional theater companies selected to participate in bringing the finest productions of Shakespeare to middle- and high-school students in communities across the United States.

Each venue will have an alternate backup space in the event of inclement weather so performances will take place on the scheduled date. Visit https://kyshakespeare.com/season/parkstour/ for more information.

Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to performances for most venues.

Dates, Places and Times of the tour are as follows:

2023 Performance Schedule

Saturday, April 1 at 2:00PM

Mount Sterling • Market Pavilion at Adena Trail Park

1 West Main Street, Mount Sterling, KY 40353

Backup rain space: Gateway Regional Arts Center, 101 East Main St., Mt. Sterling, KY 40353

Sponsored by the Gateway Regional Arts Center

Saturday, April 8 at 2:00PM

Seneca Park

3151 PeeWee Reese Road, Louisville, KY 40207

Backup rain space: Waldorf School of Louisville, 3110 Rock Creek Drive, Louisville, KY 40207

Sponsored by Councilman Andrew Owen, District 9

Saturday, April 8 at 6:30PM

Iroquois Park (lawn in front of amphitheater)

1080 Amphitheater Road, Louisville, KY 40214

Backup rain space: TBA

Sponsored by Councilman Dan Seum, Jr., District 13, Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell, District 15, Councilwoman Betsey Ruhe, District 21, and Councilman Khalil Batshon, District 25

Friday, April 14 at 6:30PM

Highview Park

7201 Outer Loop, Louisville, KY 40228

Backup rain space: Jefferson County Government Center, 7201 Outer Loop, Louisville, KY 40228

Sponsored by Councilman Jeff Hudson, District 23 and Councilwoman Madonna Flood, District 24

Saturday, April 15 at 2:00PM

Shawnee Park

4501 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40211

Backup rain space: Same (Shawnee Park Picnic Shelter)