The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival co-leaders Jason King Jones and Casey William Gallagher have announced the theme of the 2024 season the “Persistence of Love.”

“Whether it’s love for your family, your community, your partner or an idea, love persists and always seeks to make the world a better place. This theme is reflected in each play or musical we’ve selected,” said Jones, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director.

“We hope the ‘Persistence of Love’ season fosters empathy and ignites meaningful conversations through the medium of theater,” Jones said.

The Festival’s 33rd season, May 29 to Aug. 4, features three Shakespeare plays, “The Comedy of Errors,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “Cymbeline”; two musicals, “The Color Purple” and “The Last Five Years,” and, in a new collaboration, PSF will present 1812’s production of “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Additionally, there are two children’s theater productions, “Winnie-the-Pooh & Friends” and “Shakespeare for Kids.”

The season subscription presale will began in November. Single tickets for the 2024 season will be available for purchase in February.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival performs on two stages at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University in Center Valley. The Festival will also present a community tour throughout the Lehigh Valley region and will host a “Community Day” at DeSales, July 6.

2024 Summer Season

“Play On!” Community Tour, “The Comedy of Errors,” by William Shakespeare, directed by Jessica Bedford.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On!” Community Tour brings free performances of William Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” to libraries, parks and community centers in the Lehigh Valley region.

The inaugural tour launched during the summer of 2023 with “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and played to more than 1,100 attendees at 13 locations. With a goal of strengthening collaborative relationships with community partners, the tour marked an important step in PSF’s commitment to increase accessibility to theater for under-resourced populations in the region.

Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” follows the entertaining escapades of two sets of identical twins separated at birth and residing in the same town. Mistaken identities make for hilarious complications until chaos gives way to clarity, and mayhem to mirth, when brother is reunited with brother and a town turned upside-down is turned right-side up again.

Jessica Bedford will direct following last season’s “Sense and Sensibility.” Bedford is a Philadelphia-based actor, director, dramaturg, playwright and an Assistant Professor of Theatre at DeSales University. She received six Philadelphia Barrymore Award nominations for her co-written version of “Jane Eyre” at Philadelphia Artists’ Collective.

On the Main Stage

“The Play That Goes Wrong, by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer, directed by Jennifer Childs.

Philadelphia’s all-comedy theater company, 1812 Productions presents their smash hit ”The Play That Goes Wrong” as the opener on PSF’s Main Stage. The comedic sensation captivated audiences on Broadway and in London’s West End with sold-out performances before making its regional debut at 1812 last year.

Some of Philadelphia’s finest and funniest performers will reunite to stage the revival, featuring Sean Close, Melanie Cotton, Scott Greer, Justin Jain, Tony Lawton, Eli Lynn, Karen Peakes and Ian Merrill Peakes.

In the Agatha Christie meets Monty Python farce, “The Play That Goes Wrong” will have you laughing all the way to the final curtain call. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), it’s “a riotous explosion of comedy” (The Daily Beast) and “tons of fun for all ages” (HuffPost).

Jennifer Childs is Producing Artistic Director for 1812 Productions. For 1812, she has created more than 25 original works of theater, including “The Carols,” “To the Moon,” “It’s My Party: The Women and Comedy Project” and the annual political humor show, “This Is The Week That Is.” Her solo shows, “Why I’m Scared of Dance” and “I Will Not Go Gently” have been performed across the country.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor, by William Shakespeare, directed by Matt Pfeiffer.

In this merry romp, the irrepressible rogue Sir John Falstaff hatches a harebrained scheme to woo two wealthy wives in hopes to secure their fortunes. Unbeknownst to him, the merry wives craft clever retaliations to rebuke his advances. The result is a whirlwind of misadventures and bellyaching laughter.

As the story unfolds, there’s a colorful array of characters including a Welsh Priest, a zany French swordsman and a jealous husband in disguise. Shakespeare’s witty banter and comedic escapades shine through, making “The Merry Wives of Windsor” a charming celebration of love, laughter and the craft of clever deception.

The production will be directed by Barrymore Award-winner Matt Pfeiffer, who has been directing at the Festival for 23 seasons, including “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again]” (2023), “Much Ado About Nothing” (2022) and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2021). Pfeiffer has directed at Arden Theatre, People’s Light, Bristol Riverside, Lantern Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, 1812 Productions, Delaware Theatre Company and Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

“The Color Purple,” Book by Marsha Norman, Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, directed by Amina Robinson.

The epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker comes to life in an emotional tour de force musical infused with a soul-stirring score of jazz, gospel, ragtime and blues.

Set against the backdrop of the American South in the early 20th century, the story follows the transformative journey of Celie, a young African-American woman who courageously navigates a life marked by abuse, separation and discrimination to discover the strength to break free from oppression and find her own voice.

From the hauntingly beautiful “I’m Here” to the exuberant celebration of “The Color Purple,” the sensational Tony Award-winning musical is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of love.

Amina Robinson returns to PSF to direct “The Color Purple,” following last season’s “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” and on the heels of winning a 2022 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical for “The Color Purple” at Theatre Horizon. She was nominated for a 2023 Barrymore Award for Outstanding Direction of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” at the Arden Theatre.

In the Schubert Theatre

“The Last Five Years,” written and composed by Jason Robert Brown, directed by Jason King Jones.

There are two sides to every love story in the stirring musical about two aspiring artists in New York City who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.

The show unfolds with Cathy reliving her story backwards from the end of their relationship, while Jamie experiences his chronologically from the beginning.

With music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown, the almost entirely sung-through musical has captivated audiences and critics alike, receiving a Drama Desk Award (music and lyrics), a film adaptation, and productions around the world.

Jones directs following his PSF directorial debut of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” last summer. Prior to his appointment as PSF’s Artistic Director he spent 10 years at Maryland’s Olney Theatre Center, where he directed more than 20 productions and served as Senior Associate Artistic Director and Artistic Director of National Players, America’s longest-running touring theatre company.

“Cymbeline,” by William Shakespeare. “Extreme Shakespeare.”

Shakespeare meets “The Princess Bride” in the romantic adventure seamlessly weaving elements of the Bard’s comedy, tragedy and history into one epic fairy tale of magic and power.

When Imogen’s father unjustly banishes her beloved, the princess embarks on a mythic quest to prove her loyalty, outwit her wicked stepmother and reclaim her true love.

In the captivating masterpiece, from the zenith of Shakespeare’s creativity, a courageous heroine, kind strangers, sinister adversaries, divine beings, poisoned potions and forgotten princes play a role in the path toward a happily-ever-after.

This production will be rehearsed akin to the way Shakespeare’s company would have. Actors arrive with their lines learned, rehearse on their own, wear what they can find, and open in a matter of days. No directors, no designers. Just great actors, a brilliant play, pure adrenaline, spontaneity, and creativity.

Children’s theater productions

“Winnie-the-Pooh & Friends,” Schubert Theatre, based on the classic stories from A.A. Milne, by Jason King Jones, directed by Jenna Place.

Step into the enchanting world of the Hundred Acre Wood in the heartwarming story inspired by A.A. Milne’s timeless tales.

Christopher Robin and his beloved pals Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and others set out on a whimsical journey filled with joy, camaraderie, and, of course, honey.

“Shakespeare for Kids”’ presents “Twelfth Night,” Main Stage, by Erin Sheffield. directed by Matt Pfeiffer

A high-energy, one-hour production for children ages 4 to 10 to experience Shakespeare’s vibrant language and characters. Using a combination of songs, puppets and scenes from William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” S4K provides families with the opportunity to introduce children to Shakespeare in a welcoming, friendly environment.

Information: https://pashakespeare.org/