Center Valley, PA: April 3, 2024—Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is pleased to announce its receipt of a $25,000 grant from Air Products to support several programs this summer including its “Play On!” Community Tour, the Main Stage production of the musical The Color Purple, and the main sponsor for PSF’s Community Day on July 6.
Since 1995, Air Products has been a dedicated supporter of Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, sponsoring various programs including children’s theatre productions, “On the Green” pre-show performances, Main Stage productions, and the annual Luminosity Gala. They’ve also played a significant role in notable “firsts” for the Festival, such as sponsoring the first outdoor offerings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Charlotte’s Web in 2021 at the Air Products Open Air Theatre. In 2023, Air Products partnered with Crayola to support the inaugural “Play On!” Community Tour. This year, Air Products continues its steadfast support of the tour and will be the main sponsor of Community Day on July 6. Moreover, they will Co-sponsor The Color Purple and sponsor the 2024 Luminosity Gala. “We extend our deepest gratitude for their ongoing commitment to our mission and community,” says Jason King Jones Artistic Director.
As previously announced, this summer the “Play On!” Community Tour will present William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors in libraries, parks, and community centers throughout the region May 31 to June 16. Patrons can attend these performances for free thanks to the Sponsors Air Products and Crayola, as well as the Co-sponsor Joanne Hartshorne.
The following locations will host the production on tour:
Friday, May 31, 12pm- ArtsWalk Pocket Park
Saturday, June 1, 12pm- National Museum of Industrial History
Sunday, June 2, 2pm- Union Terrace Amphitheatre
Tuesday, June 4, 6pm- Historic Bethlehem Museum & Sites at Burnside Plantation
Wednesday, June 5- TBD
Thursday, June 6, 6pm- Allentown Public Library
Friday, June 7, 6pm- Lower Macungie-Hills at Lockridge Park
Saturday, June 8, 11am-Easton Farmer’s Market
Sunday, June 9, 5pm- DeSales University
Tuesday, June 11- TBD
Wednesday, June 12, 6pm- Bethlehem Area Public Library
Thursday, June 13, 6:30pm- Kutztown Park Bandshell
Friday, June 14, 6pm- Victory Park Amphitheater
Saturday, June 15, 3pm- Peddler’s Village
Sunday, June 16, 3pm- Peddler’s Village
The Festival will host its 2nd annual Community Day event on Saturday, July 6, 2024. The event will take place on the Center Valley campus of DeSales University in front of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. PSF’s Community Day will celebrate the arts as well as the many local organizations that provide invaluable services to this community. More details will be shared in upcoming announcements, on social media, and at pashakespeare.org.
The Festival’s 2024 Season Sponsors are Lee and Dolly Butz. The Associate Season Sponsors are Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth, Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan, the Szarko Family, and Harry C. Trexler Trust.
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, the official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, features acclaimed actors from Broadway, television, and film, and is the summer home to over 200 artists from around the country, including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Jefferson, and Barrymore Awards.