CENTER VALLEY PA – If you’re a fan of The Bard, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival has two treats to offer you … and both are free.
“Much Ado About Nothing,” William Shakespeare’s spirited comedy of a tale of two courtships, is being presented in 11 performances from Thursday (June 5, 2025) to June 15 (Sunday). Two of them, easily reached from the Greater Pottstown area, are scheduled for:
- June 6 (Friday) at 3 p.m. at the Allentown Public Library, 1210 Hamilton St., Allentown PA (a 29-mile drive from the borough); and
- June 12 (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. at the Kutztown Park Band Shell, 421 E. Main St., Kutztown PA (25 miles).
To ensure your personal comfort, you may want to bring a blanket or lawn chair to either show.
Both are stops on what the festival calls its “Play On! Community Tour.” Its goal: to bring ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ “to libraries, parks, and community centers all over the region” at no cost of admission. The shows reportedly are appropriate for audience members age 6 and older.
The tour began May 30 with a list of 15 performances through July 15. Six of the 15 have already been staged. Of the remainder, the Allentown and Kutztown shows are in closest proximity to Pottstown and surrounding areas. Others are between 35 and 55 miles away. See the full list online.
Cast Members and Creatives
The play features the acting talents of Maya Jean Marino Cappello, Jamir Fisher, Ian Higgins, Relena Kiser, Shawn Laub, Teddy Novak, Ryan Plunkett, India Proffit, Isabella Stevens, and Sophia Twohig.
In creative roles for the tour are Jason King Jones, director; Bridget Brennan, costume designer; David M. Greenberg, sound designer; Greg Leaming, text coach; and Monica H. Lagana, stage manager.
The tour is being sponsored by Air Products and Chemicals Inc., and the County of Northampton PA.
The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival describes itself as a professional theatre company on the campus of DeSales University. Each summer, the festival produces a season of Shakespeare and other classics, musical theatre, and children’s theatre.
It annually serves as a summer home to more 200 artists from around the country. The visitors’ list includes winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore awards. Every year since 1992, up to 50,000 patrons attend festival productions from more than 30 states.
Shakespeare statue photo by Steffen Petermann on Unsplash,
used by Travels With The Post under license
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