The History of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival

Summer Shakespeare is celebrating its 37th year this summer with a performance of “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” opening tonight! Here’s the history of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and details about this year’s performance.

🏞️ Shakespeare in the Park

In 1988, a group of actors decided to perform “As You Like It” in Centennial Park for free. According to one of its founding members, the group had no money for marketing or costumes, no producers, and did not get paid. Yet, the event attracted a large audience full of families, the kinds of people who likely would only attend that one play all year.

Inspired by their success, the group performed “Pericles” the following year, and, despite being one of Shakespeare’s least known plays, it also did surprisingly well. Their third performance was their first professional production, and the official launch of Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Just like this year, the troupe put on “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” And for the first time, the actors were paid — about $50-60! (Actors are now paid a living wage.)

🧑‍🎓 The Festival Expands

In 1992, Nashville Shakes developed its educational outreach program, performing fifty-minute “Shakespeare Samplers” at schools across Nashville. The festival began performing in the winter in collaboration with Belmont in 2008, and has also teamed up with the Nashville Public Library for Shakespeare Allowed!, where anyone can read parts from Shakespeare’s plays along with the actors.

In 2018, Summer Shakespeare moved from Centennial Park to oneC1TY, due to ongoing repair issues at Centennial’s bandshell. In 2026, they will return to the now-renovated bandshell to perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

🎭 Summer Shakespeare 2025