A Midsummer Night's Dream headlines GVSU Shakespeare Festival

The 2019 Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is performing a perennial favorite with its main stage production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

It's the third time the classic comedy is returning to the Shakespeare Festival stage, said Jim Bell, festival managing director. The festival's first production was "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and it was repeated for the 15th year we well.

"Shakespeare is a wonderful storyteller and we find things in our life related to things he does and says," Bell said. "First and foremost, we want people to come and enjoy a good production. If it makes them think about how life can be, that's great, but most of all, we hope they just come and enjoy it."

The Grand Valley Shakespeare Festival is the state's largest and oldest Shakespeare Festival; it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018. The cast each year includes students as well as guest actors.

The festival also includes the Bard to Go program, which travels to schools to perform a special 50-minute production containing scenes from several Shakespeare plays. Bard to Go members also will perform for the public on the Allendale Campus.

Details on the main stage performance, as well as other events connected to the festival, are below. For more information visit gvsu.edu/shakes.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Sept. 27, 28 and Oct. 3, 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m. 

Oct. 5 and 6 at 2 p.m.

Louis Armstrong Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus

Tickets: $16 for general admission; $7 for students; $14 for seniors and faculty, staff and alumni. 
For tickets and more information, contact the Louis Armstrong Theatre box office at (616) 331-2300.

Presentation by Shakespeare Festival Scholar-in-Residence, John Cox

September 27, 4-5 p.m.

Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette room, Allendale Campus

Free and open to the public

Cox will discuss how Shakespeare's writing is both Christian and secular, both English and universal, both historical and timeless. The presentation will be preceded by a Greenshow performance at 3:30 p.m.

Bard to Go public performances, "Tossing on the Ocean"

October 11, 2-3 p.m.

November 2, 1-3 p.m.

Keller Black Box Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus

Bard to Go is a 50-minute program of scenes which gives students an introduction to Shakespeare in performance. The events are free and open to the public.

Greenshow performances

Renaissance Faire, lawn areas surrounding the Cook Carillon Tower on the Allendale Campus

October 5 and 6 starting at 10 a.m. and throughout the day

On the patio in front of the Haas Center for Performing Arts

October 3 at 4:30 p.m.

The Greenshow is a short, interactive English Renaissance piece.