SUMMER 2026
FREDERICK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
This summer in Frederick, Maryland, we invite you back to the grass, the gathering dark and the timeless hum of Elizabethan tongue for a season bursting with first-class artists turning well-loved classics into something startlingly alive. These are plays about the ache and the lift of loving through uncertainty, staged not behind glass but right where you’re sitting.
Through the works of Shakespseare and other great dramatic voices, we’ll find ourselves returning again and again to these stories of rebellion and humility, betrayal and forgiveness, grief and joy, loneliness and belonging, in theatres all around Frederick.
So, whether you’re joining us under the open sky, under the ground or under duress, you can experience for yourself the sanctuary of a shared space, the simple joy of breathing the same air as strangers and how these old, restless plays can still spark something like hope, something like happiness and maybe—just maybe—something like courage.
Booking is open now for all performances.
Frederick Shakespeare Festival 2026
Henry IV, Part One
Rebellion simmers under a fractured kingdom. King Henry fights to hold his crown while his son, Prince Hal, runs wild in the taverns of Eastcheap. But when war calls, a wayward prince must choose: Will he rise to lead, or fade into the noise of a drunkard’s legend? Expect blistering battles, barrel-bottom wit, and the greatest rogue ever written—Sir John Falstaff. Directed by Evan Crump.
10–18 July
The Importance of Being Earnest
Witty repartee, brazen lies and polished hypocrisy collide in Victorian England as four lovers battle against a society driven by status, wealth and (most of all) style. A razor-sharp rom-com directed by Christine Mosere and Kayla Swain.
24 July – 13 August
Much Ado About Nothing
In sun-scorched Messina (which runs on wit, gossip and the perfect put-down), two merry warriors swear off love forever just as everyone commits to making them fall. But a jealous troublemaker begins a real battle with a vicious lie. Can tongues sharpened to wound be turned to healing? A story of sparkling tension, terrible decisions and a wedding that nearly isn’t. Directed by Aaron Angello.
21–29 August
This summer, experience the revival of a beloved tradition from the Maryland Shakespeare Festival. Bare Bard strips Shakespeare to its purest essence: actors, text, and nothing more. No director. No rehearsal. No safety net. Each performer memorises their role in solitude, and the company meets for the first time only when the lights rise. What unfolds is a single, unrepeatable performance—raw, dangerous, and alive. For one night only, the play exists exactly as it’s spoken, moment by trembling moment.
Look back for dates and show choices announced soon!
Just announced
Bare Bard
Dates and locations: TBD
Rain call will be made no less than 2 hours before the performance; an email will go out to all who have reserved tickets. (If you do not recieve an email please assume the production is happening outside.)
GETTING HERE
HOOD COLLEGE
Performances take place in two venues at Hood College. Use the campus map to find your theatre and plan your visit.
NEW SPIRE ARTS
15 W Patrick St
Frederick, MD 21701
HIDDEN HILLS FARM & VINEYARD
7550 Green Valley Rd
Frederick, MD 21701
SKY STAGE
59 S Carroll St
Frederick, MD 21701
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