Special Pre-Show Reception and Q&A Scheduled June 7 at
Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) is pleased to announce the return of its free “Play On!” Community Tour, now in its fourth year. This summer, Shakespeare’s beloved comedy As You Like It will travel throughout the region through June 27, bringing professional theatre to libraries, parks, community centers, and public gathering spaces across the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
Designed to make Shakespeare accessible and engaging, the tour offers a free shared cultural experience for families, friends, and community members, bringing audiences together through the power of live theatre.
Upcoming tour highlights include:
- June 4, 6pm: Historic Burnside Plantation, Bethlehem
- June 6 and June 14, Noon: Peddler's Village
- June 7, 6:30pm: Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, Bethlehem
- June 13, 11am: Easton Farmers Market
- June 27, 11am: PSF Community Day at DeSales University
The Festival recommends bringing a patio chair or blanket to enjoy the performance. Admission is free and no tickets are required.
A complete performance schedule is available at pashakespeare.org.
Special June 7 Event at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks
Through a special collaboration among Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Lehigh Valley Public Media, and Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, audiences attending the June 7 performance are invited to participate in an exclusive pre-show reception and behind-the-scenes conversation with PSF Artistic Director and Co-Director Jason King Jones and Co-Director Kim Carson, Director of Education and Community Engagement.
Prior to the free 6:30pm performance, guests are invited to gather in Studio A at the Univest Public Media Center for refreshments and conversation. Jones and Carson will discuss Shakespeare's enduring comedy, the production's creative vision, and the rehearsal process behind bringing the play to life. They will also answer audience questions and share insights into PSF's 2026 Summer Theatre Series, which features nine productions this season.
Following the 5:00pm reception, attendees can return to the Levitt Pavilion for the performance of As You Like It, presented free of charge and open to the public.
Space for the reception and Q&A is limited, and, although admission is free, advance reservations are encouraged. RSVP information is available HERE.
A whirlwind of wit, romance, and mischief, As You Like It follows Rosalind, the quick-witted daughter of a banished duke, who escapes into the Forest of Arden with her cousin Celia and the court fool Touchstone. There, they encounter exiles, shepherds, lovers, and rivals in a joyful journey filled with mistaken identities, unexpected romance, and Shakespeare’s signature blend of humor and heart. The play celebrates love, transformation, and the freedom to reinvent oneself.
The production features emerging artists from PSF’s 2026 Young Company, including Tyler Borneo (Duke Senior/Duke Frederick), Ian Higgins (Silvius/Charles), Mariana Marcel (Celia), Joanna Marie (Rosalind), Isabella Marin (Phebe/Le Beau), Mayrali Melendez (Corin), Teddy Novak (Oliver), Ryan Plunkett (Touchstone), India Profitt (Jaques/Charles), and Shawn Taylor (Orlando).
The creative team includes Bridget Brennan (Costume Designer), David M. Greenberg (Sound Designer), Eli Lynn (Fight Director), Greg Leaming (Text Coach), and Fiona O’Brien (Production Stage Manager).
The tour is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Support for the tour is provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
As You Like It is part of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 Summer Theatre Series, running through August 2 and featuring nine productions, including a musical, two additional Shakespeare works, acclaimed plays, and family programming at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University.
Tickets for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s summer productions are available at pashakespeare.org or by calling 610.282.WILL (9455), ext. 1. No tickets are required for the free “Play On!” Tour performances.
The Festival’s 2026 Season Sponsors are Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan. The Associate Season Sponsors are Air Products; Mary Bongiorno; The Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust; Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth; Yvonne Payne and Edward Spitzer; The Szarko Family; and The Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the Commonwealth’s official Shakespeare Festival, is the Lehigh Valley’s professional equity theatre. Hosted at DeSales University, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival presents world-class theatre featuring acclaimed artists from Broadway, television, and film, while serving as the summer home to more than 200 artists from across the country.
The 2026 Summer Theatre Series—”Legends & Legacy”
“Play On!” Community Tour - William Shakespeare’s As You Like It
Now to June 27 | Directed by Jason King Jones and Kim Carson
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s “Play On!” Community Tour brings free performances of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It to libraries, parks, and community centers all over the region.
On the Main Stage:
Million Dollar Quartet - June 10 to June 28
By Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Original Concept and Direction by Floyd Mutrux
Inspired by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins
Directed by Jim Helsinger
Romeo and Juliet - July 8 to August 2
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jason King Jones
Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty - July 16 to August 1
By Ken Ludwig
Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
In the Schubert Theatre:
AugustWilson’s The Piano Lesson
Now to June 14
By August Wilson
Directed by James Ijames
The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged
June 24 to July 12
By Jessica Bedford, Kathryn MacMillan, Charlotte Northeast, Meghan Winch
Directed by Jessica Bedford
Coriolanus - “Extreme Shakespeare”
July 22 to August 2
By William Shakespeare
Children’s Theatre Productions:
Sheila The Magical—The Princess and the Frog Prince Part 2
July 3 to August 1 | Schubert Theatre
By Jason King Jones |Directed by Jessica Bedford
Shakespeare for Kids (S4K) presents Romeo and Juliet
July 22 to August 1 | Main Stage
By Erin Sheffield | Directed by Matt Pfeiffer
The Festival will host its annual Community Day event on Saturday, June 27, 2026. The event will take place on the mall and in front of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts at DeSales University.