About Us: Kentucky Shakespeare, designated the Official Shakespeare Company of the Commonwealth, is a not-for-profit, charitable organization and professional theatre company and the oldest, independently-operated free Shakespeare Festival in North America.
Founded in 1949, Kentucky Shakespeare currently serves 108,000+ people annually through the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park in the summer, educational outreach touring programs, and special community programming throughout the year. Programs include Camp Shakespeare, annual Shakespeare in the Parks tour, Shakespeare in the Libraries tour serving all Louisville Free Public Libraries, indoor productions, and community center residencies. Kentucky Shakespeare has served over 1,000,000 students with in-school arts programs since its inception in 1990 in all 120 Kentucky counties and surrounding states.
Kentucky Shakespeare's Mission: Grounded in the works of Shakespeare, we enrich our community by presenting accessible, professional theatre experiences that educate, inspire and entertain people of all ages.