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 Patron Notes Great Value A great theater experience -- from the lovely setting and professional performances to the range of ticket prices and the good visibility from almost anywhere in the theater. (Our expenses keep growing and our incomes keep shrinking, which makes us grateful to be able to attend wonderful productions we can actually afford.) And we love the availability of real theater during the summer. (We could never justify the big musical productions at major theater venues in town.) Somehow, at PSF we feel "part of the show." It's a friendly place. This past season was our first experience with PSF and we were extremely impressed. PSF means talented, entertaining and well worth every $$$. PSF means being able to see NY/London-quality Shakespearean performances at a price that I can afford. I value the opportunity to see great theater nearby at an affordable price with consistent excellent acting. To me, PSF means a summer of great theater, the return of an amazingly talented group of artists and the opportunity to see them all close up at reasonable cost. Broadway caliber shows at an affordable price and a nicer setting. Many thanks to those who provide the funding that allows the festival to contain the costs of tickets. In Shakespearean tradition, the general populous needs to have access to his works!! We are very glad that several years ago we made the decision to become season subscribers. Close to Home As a New Yorker with a home in Easton, we arrogantly dallied for many years before attending PSF. What a shame! You are a joy! I live in eastern Chester County (Berwyn). At first glance, DeSales seemed like a long way to go to see theatre. But it is only 75-80 minutes from my home (while driving at or below the speed limit, I might add!) and is relatively easy to get to with no parking hassles, a great place to picnic and a lovely campus atmosphere. I learned that from trying it a few years ago. I'd urge you to explore new ways to reach audiences in my area, who think you are a million miles away and are doing summer stock amateur theatre. Nothing could be less true. Your productions are engaging, with wonderful actors and support artists and the two stages are superb. You are a hidden gem to many theatre-goers and I hope that will change. Thanks for asking. I used to have to travel to Madison NJ for the festival at Drew University. Since the establishment of the PA Festival, being able to take advantage of the rich tradition of work of "The Bard" is convenient and because the traveling isn't so cumbersome, I have been able to begin to share the experience with my young daughter as my mother did with me. It's one of our most important summer family traditions!!! I look forward to the PSF each and every year. It's the highlight of my summer. Thank you for bringing this vital slice of culture to the Lehigh Valley. Its impact is invaluable. It is a great joy to drive through beautiful Bucks County to one of the two architecturally, acoustically outstanding theaters at DeSales, to see top flight actors perform Shakespeare, & plays such as Cyrano, directed & acted as well as might be seen in London or New York. Philadelphia may lack a 24-hour classical music station, but at least it has a venue for the works of the greatest playwright in English. I had always wanted to attend a Shakespeare festival performance (in NJ where I used to live or PA) but never did, until we saw Cyrano de Bergerac. It was fabulous! We're excited about seeing more of these classic plays performed at an easy to reach, reasonably priced theater. The exposure to the classics is invaluable! As a new resident of Allentown, PSF was a drawing card when we decided to move here. "Cyrano" was excellent! It is the highlight of my summer; a delightful journey into another time and place. An opportunity to see excellent theater, in an intimate setting without having to drive to NY or Philadelphia. Great adaptations, great acting, great venue, great prices, in the Lehigh Valley, all in all, one great experience!! Fabulous professional theater within 20 minutes of my home. Through PSF, the professionalism of big-city theatrical productions are brought to the Lehigh Valley! My wife and I look forward to attending many of them each season! The opportunity to see first class professional theater without the hassles of New York or Philadelphia The ultimate gem in the jewelry shop of theatres we have in the Lehigh Valley! A beautiful, professional theater experience close to home -- a summer escape to a world of fools, fairies and fancy -- a unique and inspiring educational opportunity for myself and my English/ theater students. You perform an important part in raising the level of the culture of this area. No one else is servicing the area the way you do. I have now seen four productions of PSF, and it is consistently some of the best theatre and best classical theatre (especially Shakespeare) that I have seen. PSF is becoming a treasure for me. I have on occasion had to drive 3 hours to get there, and it has been worth it. Stellar Quality It's the classiest theater in the Lehigh Valley PSF is always an intelligent, spirit lifting evening in the theatre. There are actors we've grown to love and would come see in nearly anything. Interpretations of plays are always interesting. Greg Wood's performance in Cyrano de Bergerac changed the way I think about theater completely, and while I already support PSF and wish to attend many future PSF productions, I would never miss an opportunity to see another performance by Wood (nor to encourage friends to also see such a performance). Such quality and talent......above and beyond anything I have seen.......somebody is doing something right! It's a joy to see first-rate actors performing plays with substance, not the usual run-of-the-mill summer theater fare. I'm thrilled that you are introducing live Shakespeare to school kids. Every year I get excited about hearing the beautiful language and I'm always moved by how relevant these plays remain even now. A wonderful opportunity to immerse myself in timeless theatre w/ universal themes...to laugh, to cry, to contemplate. Amazing actors and productions. PSF is an oasis of excellent theater in an otherwise drab summer. PSF is summer to me and my husband. It is quality theater, wonderful talent, and unique interpretations of well thought out show choices. PSF means summertime and Shakespeare, an unbeatable combination! After years of PSF play going, my daughter couldn't wait to take her college Shakespeare course. Alas, she found it boring; she had already received a much more dynamic Shakespeare experience by attending the festival! Both my children are big Shakespeare fans thanks to you! Each summer I look forward to the great performances, and I can't imagine summer without PSF! PSF is a wonderful chance to see all your favorite Shakespeare plays up close and personal. The talent that PSF has is amazing and I'm always looking forward to the next year! A cultural breath of fresh air. First rate theater. Great opportunity to see the "classics" performed. Beautiful, intimate ambiance; truly superb acting.... PSF provides mental and artistic stimulation that summers sometimes lack. To me, PSF means spending a few hours immersed in a different world, thanks to the wonderful actors and actresses and the impressive sets! Everything is always well done. Such quality and talent......above and beyond anything I have seen.......somebody is doing something right! It is a fantastic, and much needed, cultural event that I feel blessed to know about. I love that the PSF performs challenging Shakespearean plays and does not follow the normal trends. The performances are consistently powerful and the director's make interesting choices per the staging of the play. A beautiful place to escape and enjoy Shakespeare PSF is gem. I unfortunately take it for granted and manage to miss performances before they finish a run, but when I make it a point to get there, for either main stage or children's shows, I leave satisfied, filled up on soul food.
An annual trip to "the country" to see what are always first class performances of the greatest dramatist of them all! Wish I lived nearer. Great Broadway-quality theater just minutes from my home. I laugh, I cry, and I escape the real world and be a part of a fun fantasy world for a few hours. It's a relaxing and fun evening date with my husband. As a high school teacher of English and literature, I really enjoy the professionalism of the plays. As a lover of language, I marvel at the power of language to teach and entertain. It's a joy to see first-rate actors performing plays with substance, not the usual run-of-the-mill summer theater fare. I'm thrilled that you are introducing live Shakespeare to school kids. Every year I get excited about hearing the beautiful language and I'm always moved by how relevant these plays remain even now. PSF provokes me to appreciate Shakespeare's plays by bringing them to life. It is one of my summer highlights that I feel privileged to be able to attend. PSF offers the best Shakespeare around. Every year I make plans to attend performances with good friends and it is always a big event. Next to the Stratford, Ontario, Festival, the best Shakespeare we've seen in recent years. I love that your children's performances don't "talk down" to the kids. They ask them to use their imagination instead of spelling it all out for them -- for example the "animal costumes" for Jungle Book. Also, adults can appreciate and enjoy them on another level. PSF means summertime, a break in the daily schedule, wonderful, talented actors, and a trip back in time- all in a beautiful setting. I enjoy getting out of the city, and seeing Shakespeare in such a beautiful campus, in a theater where there are no bad seats. Some of the return actors feel like old friends. I also like meeting new actors as well. PSF means everything to me! The story, as well as the characters, pulls me in their trials and tribulations! There are so many emotions that I feel when I leave that I could not survive a summer without my dose of PSF. Thank you for always putting on a great performance. PSF means there is a destination that we cannot wait to get to each summer. PSF offers an opportunity to keep the mind active, to feel culturally alive and to mingle with like-minded people. An oasis in the arid desert of summer. It's like taking 4 mini vacations a year! Love everything you do. The highest quality Shakespeare available today. Period. The PSF is always a fun evening that we look forward to every year. We love the Green Show and have never been disappointed with any of the plays that we have come to see. Thank you for putting on such a wonderful event! We have had some of our best nights in a theater at PSF. This past season was a particularly good one. Love the work of Greg Wood and Chris Mullen; we will come see anything that they are in. Thank you for courageously branching out into the less frequently performed Shakespeare plays. Your production of King Lear was magnificent. In addition, the cast talkback session that followed offered intriguing insights into the early retirement aspect of the play. We loved, loved, loved this season of PSF!!! We talk these performances up among friends and encourage them to join us in "making a day of it," since this is a good trek for most of us. We love seeing old friends from the Arden and other Philadelphia theaters stretch their abilities (like Greg Wood, who did such a great job as Cyrano). We look forward to taking our grandchildren to some of the children's theater offerings (a couple more years!). One of our children had ADHD problems, and I started him young on theatrical productions on smaller stages. He loved going to PSF. Theater and music and gardening have helped bring him through some tough times. I prefer the comedies to the tragedies. I enjoyed both productions that I saw last year: Twelfth Night and Cyrano. These were the first two productions that I had seen at DeSales. In my opinion, Cyrano was of Broadway quality. I'm so glad that I finally came to the PA Shakespeare Festival, after years of simply discussing it. It was well worth the ticket price! As good or better than NYC This was our first time trying the PA Shakespeare Festival (Lear) and we were incredibly pleased with the quality top to bottom. We're sad for what we've missed in prior years -- but we won't be missing another Shakespeare Summer. Wonderful production - thank you. I have seen a lot of Shakespeare and PSF is right at the top of the list. Individual performances have been stunning! Please continue to bring these great performances to DeSales. I saw Lear and Cyrano this season and enjoyed them both very much and preferred your Lear to a production at the Folgers last year. We have been subscribers for many years, and have never come away from a performance without feeling what a wonderful job the actors did. Please stay viable and grow! You people are amazing!!! I love the atmosphere at PSF, too; calm, classy, intelligent. It's my new favorite place! I was very pleased with all the shows and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. Cyrano and Twelfth Night top the list though. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more authentic costuming in King Lear but the acting was phenomenal. This was my first year attending the festival. I am certainly hoping to be back next year. So nice that many of the performers are willing to interact with the spectators after the show... You are doing a great job and hopefully this Festival will go on and on King Lear was outstanding! Through PSF, my husband & I are able to share in our community and support the performing arts. We look forward to the festival every year and hope to continue our membership long into the future. Thank you for continuing to raise the bar each year and offer such excellent theater. I moved to NYC 3 years ago and am surrounded by art, music, culture and theater, but still return to PSF every year because of how well-done the productions are. Bravo! The student's pre-theater acts are always something to look forward to. What imaginations! We are grateful that such an amazing company is right in our backyard. This is my second year as a subscriber and I have loved everything. PSF does a wonderful job. Keep up the good work! Just keep Chris Mullen in your company~ Prologs were helpful. Is there a way to advertise them more? Some people didn't realize we had them. I was one of those who was turned off to Shakespeare by being forced to read him in school. Seeing the plays performed has been a wonderful experience. PSF is one of the best things about summer. I am a subscriber for life. A truly inspiring facility. What I particularly am always impressed with is your incorporation of DeSales students. The educational aspect is something I routinely refer to in the course of my teaching. We have never been disappointed, ever. It's a world class experience, right in our own back yard! I can't image a summer without the PSF. No one else does what you do -- never stop! And somehow you make it better every year. The pre-performance talks and meet the actors are great ideas. PSF brings entertainment and culture together in exceptionally well-done productions. Every presentation is engaging and top-notch! The pre-show entertainment is excellent and a great way to remind people how much they're getting for their money. I like the small intimate feeling of your main stage theater. I'll be subscribing as long as I live. Keep up the good work. We love you and recommend you to our friends. We live three hours away from PSF, but will keep coming back for more. Please do another cabaret - it was so entertaining to watch the actors I am "getting to know" unveil their myriad of talents in an informal, intimate atmosphere. They are so much fun! We saw Plummer as Lear in Canada in an unmatchable performance. Your Lear in limited space was beautifully done. As charter subscribers, my husband and I want to thank you for the many satisfying hours your productions have given us. Did I mention that I LOVE PSF??? Can't wait for 2009. The prologues are invaluable!! I enjoy, not only getting a summary of the play, but, insights into the characters, setting, staging, etc. My choices for next season could have been all of them. A Midsummer Night's Dream is the only one I've read and the only one I've seen performed. We'll be there no matter which ones you choose! See you then! Keep inspiring us!
Love it. My father took me when I was younger and now I go with friends. Lots of memories. I attend every year. PSF made my son a Shakespeare fan. We have made the plays a ritual. My family has enjoyed going to the PSF for years now. My husband and my daughter go to a play as their birthday presents as their birthdays are in mid July. PSF means so much to me! It is a great bonding time for my mother and me. We come to every opening of every show and we are so pleased with everything you do. Seeing the shows is a great way for us to break from the the humdrum of normal summer activities. Keep up the great work!!!
The PSF has been a source of enjoyment for my family for the past 6 years. The level of sophistication of the performances and the professionalism and talent of the actors keeps us coming back year after year. We look forward to PSF every summer. The productions are beautifully done, and the performances memorable. My husband and I were deeply moved, for example, by the Winter's Tale (2007) -- the director, actors, and staff brought levels of meaning to this play that I had never perceived before. We have shared our excitement over PSF with many friends over the past 5 years, and all have found it as special as we have. I first attended PSF in high school, and my closest friend from high school and I have had a tradition of attending PSF yearly ever since--a "Girl's Night Out". Over the years, we have brought our husbands and then our children to different productions. PSF means tradition to me--something I hope to share with my friends and family for years to come! Thank you! PSF is a much anticipated part of our summer. It's become a family tradition to attend, and we've brought many friends/neighbors to the festival with us over the years. Truly a "hidden gem" - I can't imagine why the house isn't full every single night! History, Art, and culture comes alive at PSF. PSF is an accessible opportunity to elevate my family's expectations of what life can be. We're happy to support local theater performances. It's a wonderful evening out, and it's fun for me to have my husband see shows and plays he never had the opportunity to see in his earlier life.
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