There is still plenty of summer to enjoy,
so why not soak up the best of the city
and everything that it has to offer by
checking out Shakespeare in Central Park?
We are entering now the final ws
of Kentucky Shakespeare's festi,
and we are giving you a previewf
what you can enjoy this weekend.
Joining us is producing artistic
director Matt Wallace. Right.
Big weekend for you.
It's the big stage productions.
The final ones right is we're
closing all three of them.
I know I came out here at the beginning
and now here we are nearing the.
Yeah. So it's a big closing.
Like this summer you have had
so much attention and such big,
would you say bigger crowds.
It has been, I mean,
it's been incredible, right?
We're we're approaching 20,000 for the
summer with still 2 1/2 weeks t.
So it's really exciting. And
so how are you kind of wrapping
things up this weekend?
Well, this is a big, this is a really
big weekend and perfect weather.
Tonight we close A Midsummer Night's Dream.
We've been running it since May 24th.
Delightful production with a flying ferry.
And it's magical.
And then tomorrow night we close Macbeth,
which is just a thrilling trage.
And Sunday night we close
Love's Labor's Lost.
It's our comedy set in the 1950.
I love how this summer too you'e
you put different twists on this
to can make I don't know pull in
a new audience that may not be
so familiar with Shakespeare.
Or maybe they're familiar and they're
seeing it in a whole new light. Yeah, we
hope that they look at look at
it through new eyes each time we
do a new Shakespeare production.
And so beyond this weekend,
you all will still be out there,
just with very different productions. Yeah,
what's crazy is we only have 2 1/2 weeks,
but we have still have 6 productions.
So those three shows, Saturday night,
tomorrow night is our last late night
show with the Louisville Improvisers.
Late night shakes at 10:30,
they improvise a Shakespeare pl.
And then next year, next week,
Wednesday through Sunday is our Globe
Players professional training program
for high school students with to
Gentlemen of Verona set in the d
West and it features live music.
And then we close it out Augustd
through six with Louisville Bal.
And this is a world premiere
from them called Lady M
So lots, lots to do to be aboutu
know, it's a it's a take on Mach
from Lady Macbeth's point of vi.
It's a world premiere piece
created by Roger Creel.
I love just the kind of the
fusion and the collaboration tht
happens with different artistic
groups to come together, right?
Like all ships rise.
That's where the most exciting stuff happens.
And other partnerships too.
Every night you come to the park at 7:15,
it's a different preshow,
so you have different groups.
We had amped on the stage last night.
Tonight we have an early camp Shakespeare
performance starting at 75615.
So each night just a
different community groups,
right? And I feel like too,
you've had kind of an experience there
when you go to Central Park, ri?
There's just other things.
To enjoy with the food
and the whole mood of it.
It is so rotating food trucks.
We have 4:00 tonight, 3:00 tomorrow night.
So different food trucks pre shows we
have a kids tent with free activities.
Tonight is a really fun event from 6 to 8.
Louisville Metro parks and
rec has art in the park.
So from 6 to 8 all kinds
of free youth activities.
Relating to art and and tied into the show.
So there's always something we
have our strolling puppet and
it's just a fun time and what a
new playground by Olmsted Parks.
Raise the funds it's amazing
and so that gives something
for the kids to do.
You know if if you're watching e
the performances and the kids ae
running around on the playgroun,
totally fine. Right.
Totally fine. That's
what we love about Central Park.
You can get up and walk
around during the show. Yes,
bring your pets unleashes. And you know,
it's it's a nice easy atmosphere
and you can can you bring your n
picnic back? Sure can. Absolute.
You can't. You can't bring yourn
alcohol because we have a bar ad
that's with our liquor license.
But yeah, you can bring a picni,
You can eat from the food truck.
Yeah, Froggy's popcorn is there
with all kinds of great popcorn.
So lots of lots of good stuff.
So since you're wrapping up, you started
the season with us and wrapping it up.
As you look back, what would you
say are the big wins of this se?
All the big wins are the people, for sure.
The people. I watch the audience
just as much as I watch the shod
to see all of the little childr.
Come to meet the fairies in intermission or,
you know, all of the people telg
their story of how they've been
coming since they were kids.
And it's for us, it's all about the people.
It's just like a homecoming in Central Park.
Absolutely. And so after this
all wraps up, do you all do
anything in the fall, winter? We
sure do. Of course you do. You'e
like, don't even get me started.
I figure it as much. Yes,
we have a 2 show indoor season,
so tickets are now on sale for October
production of The Woman in Blac.
This is the hit.
London West End ghost play.
It ran for 33 years there
and now we're doing it.
And then Sense and Sensibility t
the Kentucky Center in January.
And so where is the first one?
It's at our space in old
Louisville headquarters. You
got to promote your space more.
Yeah, right. It's
our. It's an 8000 square foot.
Facility right next to Central k
and it's where we can kind of do
some of our smaller projects toe
a performance that has to
be super cool. Yes, yes. So
Information is at KY shakespeare.com,
but it's a really fun, spooky Halloween show.
Well, congratulations on a call.
Thanks for being here with us ad
taking us to the very end, righ.
And so definitely get out there
and enjoy everything this weeke.
For a full schedule,
all the times of those remaining shows,
go to kyshakespeare.com.