Shakespeare in the Park

About the 2023 Festival

The doomed imperial romance of Antony & Cleopatra will be the mainstage of the Free Shakespeare in the Park Festival, May 11-14 on the Adderley Amphitheater stage at Cascades Park. Two-time Emmy-nominated actor Kelsey Scott stars in director James Alexander Bond’s production that spans from the political intrigue of the Rome empire to the “immortal longings” of ancient Egypt.

SSC’s junior acting troupe, the Bardlings, will also perform their one-hour version of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It on Saturday and Sunday, May 13-14.

2023 Guest Artists

Kelsey Scott (Cleopatra) began her career in the theatre scene of her hometown of Atlanta. Best known for her role as Anne Northup in the Oscar-winning 12 Years A Slave and her two-season arc as Wes Gibbins’ mother, Rose, on How to Get Away With Murder, her credits also include: Better Call Saul, Insecure, NCIS, True Detective, and the CW’s Dynasty reboot. She is a 2019 Daytime Emmy nominee for her Guest Star role on Giants. And in 2017, she received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for her leading role on Fear the Walking Dead: Passage. On stage, Kelsey originated the role of Ann Madison in Pearl Cleage’s political romance, What I Learned in Paris. Her theatre resume also showcases her vocalist work, with lead roles in productions of Once On This Island, Little Shop of Horrors, and a touring company of Dreamgirls.

James Alexander Bond (Director) has directed more than 250 productions from New York to England and regionally across America, including over two-thirds of Shakespeare’s canon, numerous musicals and many new works. Among his Shakespeare directing credits are the Pearl Theatre Company in New York, New York Public Libraries, Richmond Shakespeare, Illinois Shakespeare, Virginia Shakespeare Festival, and MaineStage Shakespeare. James holds a BFA from Ithaca College and a MFA in Directing from the University of California at Davis.

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The quality of the mainstage SSC festival performances each year matches that of the many Shakespeare productions we’ve watched in much larger cities throughout England and the U.S. Tallahassee doesn’t know how lucky it is!

Dr. Sarah Lebhar Hall
Festival attendee
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My 19 year old granddaughter was smitten. Days after [the festival] she enthusiastically shared her experience of the evening with a group of youths who claimed “there’s nothing to do in Tallahassee”…Thanks for the encounter!

2021 audience member
festival attendee
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Thank you THANK YOU for bringing [the festival] back!!! My love of Shakespeare started because of that first [Southern Shakespeare] showing of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Thank you for bringing back one of my loveliest childhood memories.

Brittany Callens
festival attendee
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The set, the costumes, the actors and their excellent performance throughout the play all contributed to a feast for the eyes and ears. And for those who are hearing impaired, watching the signers convey the message and emotion was a treat!

Penny Davis
festival attendee
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I’ve seen a LOT of Shakespeare, both community and professional, and this show was hands down one of the best I have ever seen. Don’t miss out!

Rose Bennett
festival attendee

RECENT PRODUCTIONS

The Adderley Amphitheatre Stage in Cascades Park has been Tallahassee’s home for Shakespeare in the Park since 2015.

Learn more about our production history: click on a show title to view the production’s digital playbill or click on gallery photos to view them in a larger size.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Guest starring Kevin McDonald of The Kids in the Hall, 2022
Photographer: Bob Howard

TWELFTH NIGHT

Guest starring Hal Sparks of Queer as Folk, 2021
Photographer: Bob Howard

Past Productions

Originally formed in 1995, the Southern Shakespeare Festival was reinvigorated after a fifteen-year hiatus in its new home, Cascades Park. In 2020, there was no production in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Learn more about our production history: click on a show title to view the production’s digital playbill or click on gallery photos to view them in a larger size.

MACBETH

Guest starring Marc Singer of Beastmaster, 2019
Photographer: Bob Howard

ROMEO & JULIET

Guest starring Renee O’Connor of Xena: Warrior Princess, 2018
Photographer: Bob O’Lary

AS YOU LIKE IT

Guest starring Terry Wells and Devon Glover AKA The Sonnet Man, 2017
Photographer: Bob Howard

COMEDY OF ERRORS

Starring Melanie Mays, 2016
Photographer: Bob O’Lary

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

Guest starring Jef Canter, 2015
Photographer: Bob Howard

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