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The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival

If all the world's a stage, then William Shakespeare stands at the center of it. The plays by the Bard of Avon continue to draw crowds-which isn't bad for a guy who died in 1616. And such classic works deserve classic treatment. Enter the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival. Having produced the works of Shakespeare and other playwrights since 1989, it is now one of the country's top 10 Shakespearean theaters for scale and season length.

The "festival" actually continues all year. In the spring, the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival presents two of Shakespeare's 36 plays at Lake Eola Park's open-air Walt Disney Amphitheater. Typically, the Festival presents Shakespearean tragedies or historical plays with a traditional treatment, while the Shakespearean comedies or romances are given a contemporary setting, thereby illuminating new facets in the dialogue.

Each autumn three plays, which may or may not have a Shakespearean connection, are presented at the newly opened John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Other programs include the free monthly reading series, Shakespeare Unplugged; and a workshop and reading series for new plays called Play Lab. The fully staffed festival also offers summer productions by high school students, summer camps for kids, and community classes.

Location
The box office and executive offices of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival are located at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center at 812 East Rollins Street in Orlando's Loch Haven Park. The center also is the site for two indoor theaters: the Ken and Trisha Margeson Theater, and the Marilyn and Sig Goldman Theater.

The Walt Disney Amphitheater is located in downtown Orlando's Lake Eola Park. The park is bounded by North Rosalind Avenue, East Robinson Street, East Central Boulevard, and North Eola Drive.

Hours of operation
Box-office hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Cost
Tickets for Walt Disney Amphitheater productions range from $10 to $35. Tickets for Goldman Theatre productions are $20 to $28, and for Margeson Theater productions are $20 to $35.

Contact information and reservations

• Call the box office at (407) 447-1700, ext. 1.
• E-mail at info@shakespearefest.org.

Special Considerations Tickets to the spring productions at Lake Eola Park sell fast, so make your reservations early.

Additional information
Visit the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival Web site.

Please note
Cost, hours of operation, or other information about this attraction is subject to change without notice. We suggest you confirm with the attraction prior to your visit.