FREDERICK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Find out about our annual summer play festival, which will run for its 8th year in 2026.
What is the Frederick Shakespeare Festival?
The Frederick Shakespeare Festival brings Shakespeare’s works to life every summer with a lineup of productions staged outdoors on Hood College’s campus and indoors at the ESPloft, Avalon Theatre, and New Spire Arts.
Founded in 2018 by the Endangered Species theatre Project’s Christine Mosere and Hood College's Aaron Angello, this festival began with a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the campus of Hood College. Since then, the Frederick Shakespeare Festival has quickly become one of Frederick’s quietly beloved summer traditions—performing at Hood College, Hidden Hills Farm and Vineyard and at New Spire Arts.
The festival brings together classical texts with a hodge-podge of local, regional and out-of-town talent with a spirit that is at once scrappy and revelatory.
The festival included d/Deaf/hearing integration in 2021’s production of Romeo and Juliet (with Deaf artist Joshua M. Castille as Romeo and Surasree Das as Juliet) and 2023’s Twelfth Night (with Deaf artist Michelle Mary Schaefer as Olivia). d/Deaf Director Richard Costes directed their 2025 production of The Tempest.
Frederick Shakespeare Festival 2026
In the festival’s 8th year, ESPtheatre will be bringing a non-Shakespeare theatre classic with a production of
The Importance of Being Earnest playing at New Spire Arts and Hidden Hills Winery. Along with The Bard in Brief, an hour production of scenes from various shows in the ESPloft
Our partners in the Frederick Shakespeare Festival, Unstrung Harpist Productions and Ardeo Theatre Company, will be producing Henry IV, Part One and
Much Ado About Nothing in repertory at Hood College's Avalon Theatre and the Hodson Outdoor Theatre.
Captivating audiences since 2019
c. Michael Mason
c. Michael Mason
c. Lesli Summers-Stay
c. Michael Mason
Previous Frederick Shakespeare Festival productions