The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival (NDSF) is thrilled to return in 2025 as we celebrate 25 years of serving Michiana with world-class productions of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. The NDSF Community Company kicks off the summer season with community favorites: ShakeScenes (July 19 at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center) and Shakespeare After Hours (July 25 at LangLab). Following in August, the NDSF Professional Company stages Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, King Lear (Aug 21-31; previews Aug. 19-20), directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh.
“Since the founding of the Festival in 2000, the vision of our founder, Paul Rathburn, has remained constant: Bring the nation’s best artists and designers to the University of Notre Dame in order to produce world-class productions of Shakespeare’s works for the benefit of our students and wider community,” says Scott Jackson, Mary Irene Ryan Family Executive Artistic Director of Shakespeare at Notre Dame. “We are honored to carry this legacy forward for the next 25 years!”
ShakeScenes:
Returning once again to delight audiences of all ages, ShakeScenes is a wonderful afternoon of Shakespearean shenanigans. This always popular and FREE event features K-12 students from the Michiana area performing scenes from and inspired by Shakespeare. This family-friendly performance has introduced thousands of children across the region to Shakespeare since its inception in 2002.
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WHAT: ShakeScenes (NDSF 2025)
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WHEN: Saturday, July 19 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
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WHERE: Leighton Concert Hall, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Notre Dame, IN
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COST: FREE but ticketed. Reserve your free tickets at shakespeare.nd.edu.
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PUBLIC CONTACT: Shakespeare at Notre Dame at shakes@nd.edu.
Shakespeare After Hours::
Gloriously unhinged and completely unrestrained, Shakespeare After Hours is back for another no holds-barred evening of fun at South Bend’s iconic performance space LangLab. This adults-only night of boozy, bawdy entertainment highlights Shakespeare's outrageous side as local artists perform works drawn from and inspired by Shakespeare.
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WHAT: Shakespeare After Hours (NDSF 2024)
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WHEN: Friday, July 25 at 7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. EDT (2 performances)
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WHERE: LangLab, 1302 High Street, South Bend, IN
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COST: $15 at shakespeare.nd.edu.
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PUBLIC CONTACT: Shakespeare at Notre Dame at shakes@nd.edu.
King Lear:
As an aging king seeks to divide his kingdom amongst his three daughters, the forces of jealousy, blindness, and madness threaten his reign -- and the future of not just his country, but his family. Shakespeare's King Lear is one of the playwright's greatest creations: a powerful tale of loss, memory, insanity, and the importance of love.
King Lear is brought to life by the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's Professional Company for the first time, under the direction of Pirronne Yousefzadeh, a director, writer, and educator whose work has been produced by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Repertory Company, the Kennedy Center, and many others.
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WHAT: King Lear (NDSF 2025)
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WHEN: Tuesday-Sunday, Aug. 21-31, 2025 (previews Aug. 19 & 20)
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WHERE: Patricia George Decio Theatre, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Notre Dame, IN
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COST: Tickets $10-$75 at shakespeare.nd.edu.
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PUBLIC CONTACT: Shakespeare at Notre Dame at shakes@nd.edu.
PRE-SHOW AND POST-SHOW EVENTS:
Join us for special events accompanying our Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances:
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OPENING NIGHT / 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: August 21st, 6:00pm, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, $75 (includes food, drink, and a ticket to the opening night performance of King Lear)
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Celebrate the opening night of King Lear and 25 years of the Notre Dame Shakespeare festival by raising a glass with cast and crew, donors, and stalwart audience members from seasons past and present.
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POST-SHOW ACTOR Q&A: Immediately following all Friday night performances, Patricia George Decio Theater, FREE
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Stay behind after the show to share your thoughts and questions with the actors
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PRE-SHOW SEMINARS: August 23 and 28, 6:45pm, Regis Philbin Theater, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, FREE
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GALLERY STROLL WITH PETER HOLLAND: August 30, 1:00pm, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, FREE
Call (574) 631-3777, visit shakespeare.nd.edu, or follow us on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram for information on ticketing & parking, and to learn more about the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s current and future seasons.