Published: June 9, 2017

Founded in 1958, the is the second-oldest Shakespeare festival in the country and is recognized nationally. Each summer, the theaterÌýfestival presents four to five productionsÌýin repertory in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre and the University Theatre at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ.

The festival's 60th season will feature William Shakespeare'sÌýThe Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet,ÌýJulius CaesarÌýand part three ofÌýHenry VI, as well as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, a retelling of Hamlet by Tom Stoppard.

The Henry VI Ìýperformance is the latest of CSF's widely hailed Original PracticesÌýproductions—shows heldÌýatÌýthe iconic outdoor theater "designed to recreate the feel of Elizabethan-era stagings, with very little in the way of sets, lights and rehearsal time for the actors," according to a . The production also marks the festival's complete canon of Shakespeare's 38 plays for the second time since its inaugural season.

to purchase individual or season tickets. PricesÌýfor each showÌýstart at $20.

The Taming of the Shrew

JuneÌý11 to Aug. 13 at theÌýMary Rippon Outdoor Theatre

CSF kicks offÌýwith a zany comedy set in swinging 1940s New York City. Enter Kate, a plucky pilot who's just returned from the fray of World War II, and her stubborn match, Petruchio. On the vibrant streets of Little Italy, the two duke it out in a battle of wits, dance the night away and discoverÌýagainst all odds a mutual respect that's almost like being in love.

Hamlet

JuneÌý23 to Aug. 13 at the University Theatre

In what is often considered the greatest play in the English language, Hamlet's world is ripped apart after one parent's untimely death and the other's hasty remarriage.ÌýThe young prince's heart and mind wrestle for control in a tormented quest to uncover the truth. Staged for the first time inside the intimate University Theatre, this is Hamlet as you’ve never seen it before.

Julius Caesar

July 7 to Aug. 12 at the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre

What makes a true leader? In the republic of ancient Rome, no one seems to know. As Rome's leader basks in his victory and ignores a series of bad omens, jealous critics conspire to topple his regime—only to find later their efforts were for naught. Lies, scheming and scandal meet in a spellbinding political thriller that seems all too familiar in today's polarized times.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

July 21 to Aug. 13 at the University Theatre

In this hilarious and mind-bending comedy by the Oscar-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard, Shakespeare'sÌýHamletÌýis brilliantly retold through the eyes of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. TheÌýbewildered schoolmates sent to pull Prince Hamlet out of a descent into madness, grapple with fate, free will and the game of life. CSF's production brings its full HamletÌýcast on stage to inhabit Stoppard’s ingenious parallel universe of wit and wisdom.

Henry VI

Sunday, Aug. 6, and Tuesday, Aug. 8, at theÌýMary Rippon Outdoor Theatre

The final play in Shakespeare’s razor-sharp War of the Roses chronicle, Henry VI, whichÌýalso inspired the hit series Game of Thrones, will feature two Original Practices productions. In previous seasons, all Original Practices shows sold out months in advance, so don'tÌýmiss it!