The mission of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is to enrich, engage, entertain, and inspire the widest possible audience through professional theatrical productions of classic, contemporary, and Shakespearean works, and through educational engagement and mentorship programs.
The Festival’s core values:
- Quality: the revelation of beauty through transformative artistry
- Shakespeare: producing plays of the greatest playwright in the English language
- Education: illuminating Shakespeare, the power of language, and the professional theatre
- Relationships: cultivating and mobilizing enduring collaborative alliances
PSF – creating better people and better communities through great theatre
What We Believe:
At Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, we believe great theatre illuminates our shared humanity. Through Shakespeare’s works and classic stories, we explore universal themes that transcend time, culture, and background—love, justice, family, power, redemption, and the complexity of human nature.
Our commitment to artistic excellence means seeking out exceptional talent from all backgrounds who can bring these timeless works to vivid life. We believe diverse perspectives and experiences enrich our productions, deepen our educational programs, and strengthen our ability to serve our entire community in the Lehigh Valley.
This commitment flows naturally from our core values:
- Through Quality, we seek artists who bring unique insights and talents to reveal new layers of beauty in classical works.
- Through Shakespeare, we explore how his timeless characters and themes resonate differently across varied life experiences.
- Through Education, we make classical theatre accessible and meaningful to students and audiences of all backgrounds.
- Through Relationships, we build lasting connections that welcome new voices while honoring our established community.
Our goal is simple: to create extraordinary theatre that brings people together, sparks meaningful dialogue, and strengthens the fabric of our community.
What We Are Doing:
At PSF, our commitment to creating transformative theatre is not just a philosophy—it is an active, daily practice. It informs how we collaborate, the stories we tell, and the ways we engage with our community.
Every artistic process at PSF begins with ten essential principles that foster a creative, respectful, and courageous environment where all voices can thrive. In every rehearsal room, shop, and office, we commit to:
- Making every day a new day.
- Prioritizing emotional, physical, and mental well-being.
- Letting go of perfectionism and embracing artistic growth.
- Treating one another with kindness and respect.
- Taking responsibility and making amends when needed.
- Respecting confidentiality and personal boundaries.
- Focusing on solutions rather than problems.
- De-centering ourselves to actively listen and honor other perspectives.
- Communicating with positive intent and openness.
- Giving ourselves and each other permission to contribute fully.
These principles create the foundation for our work, allowing authentic artistic expression to flourish. They support our broader mission: to enrich, engage, entertain, and inspire the widest possible audience through stories that reflect our shared humanity.
This commitment is reflected on our stages. While honoring our classical roots, we have thoughtfully expanded our programming to embrace works that celebrate a variety of voices and perspectives. Recent that highlight the universality of themes like family, identity, love, struggle, and triumph—proving that great theatre speaks to everyone. Beyond our Main Stage, we extend this inclusive approach through educational and community engagement programs:
- Our ‘Play On!’ Community Tour brings accessible Shakespeare to neighborhoods throughout the Lehigh Valley.
- The WillPower Tour reaches thousands of students across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, making classical theatre relevant and meaningful to young people of all backgrounds.
- Our Shakespeare for Kids Library Tour provides free performances that introduce children to the language and ideas of many of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.
By creating a space where all voices and experiences are valued—on stage, backstage, and in the audience—we strengthen not only our art but our community. This approach doesn’t diminish our commitment to the classics; it deepens our ability to reveal their enduring relevance.
At PSF, we believe that great theatre has the power to illuminate, unite, and inspire. Together, we are building a creative home where everyone is welcome, where stories reflect the world around us, and where the act of storytelling itself fosters a stronger, more connected community.