Our History

Kentucky Shakespeare Festival originated as a community theatre group, The Carriage House Players, founded in 1949 by C. Douglas Ramey. Among the actors who started with Ramey and went on to achieve national recognition in the theatre are Mitch Ryan, Ned Beatty, and Warren Oates. In addition to initiating free performances in Louisville's Central Park, Ramey began a “Students for Shakespeare” program which evolved into the “Shakespeare Comes to Kentucky Schools”, the forerunner of our current educational outreach programs.

The audience area of the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheatre is accessible to patrons who have physical disabilities. The Fifth District Police Department provides handicapped accessible parking next to the amphitheatre. During the last week of performances in Central Park, shadow sign interpreted performances are provided for the deaf and hearing impaired, and audio described performances are provided for the blind and visually impaired.

Recently, the Festival’s widely diverse summer audience has numbered approximately 10,000 people each season. In the last thirty–nine years, over one half million people have enjoyed the Festival’s one hundred and nine summer productions.

Season Play Director 1960 Much Ado About Nothing C. Douglas Ramey 1961 Othello C. Douglas Ramey Macbeth C. Douglas Ramey Much Ado About Nothing C. Douglas Ramey 1962 Othello C. Douglas Ramey Julius Caesar C. Douglas Ramey Macbeth C. Douglas Ramey Much Ado About Nothing C. Douglas Ramey 1963 Julius Caesar C. Douglas Ramey The Tempest C. Douglas Ramey Twelfth Night C. Douglas Ramey 1964 The Taming of the Shrew C. Douglas Ramey Macbeth C. Douglas Ramey As You Like It C. Douglas Ramey 1965 A Midsummer Night's Dream C. Douglas Ramey Much Ado About Nothing C. Douglas Ramey Othello C. Douglas Ramey The Merry Wives of Windsor C. Douglas Ramey 1966 The Taming of the Shrew C. Douglas Ramey Hamlet C. Douglas Ramey Twelfth Night C. Douglas Ramey 1967 Romeo and Juliet Keith Baker Henry IV, Part I Keith Baker The Tempest C. Douglas Ramey 1968 The Winter's Tale Keith Baker Julius Caesar George Neilson A Midsummer Night's Dream C. Douglas Ramey 1969 Macbeth C. Douglas Ramey Much Ado About Nothing C. Douglas Ramey Measure for Measure Gary McKim 1970 Coriolanus C. Douglas Ramey All's Well That Ends Well C. Douglas Ramey King Lear Gary McKim 1971 The Tempest Howard Williams The Merry Wives of Windsor Gary McKim Anthony and Cleopatra C. Douglas Ramey 1972 The Winter's Tale C. Douglas Ramey Julius Caesar C. Douglas Ramey Twelfth Night Thomas Van Brunt 1973 Romeo and Juliet David C. Roster Richard III John Hagan The Taming of the Shrew Walace Briggs 1974 A Midsummer Night's Dream C. Douglas Ramey Cymbeline Bryan Clark Hamlet Gordon Smith 1975 As You Like It Rand Mitchell Macbeth C. Douglas Ramey & Michael Hankins Measure for Measure Gordon Smith 1976 Much Ado About Nothing Michael Hankins Richard II Albert Harris Twelfth Night Gordon Smith 1977 The Winter's Tale Gordon Smith King Lear Albert Harris Love's Labor's Lost Michael Harris 1978 The Taming of the Shrew Nathan Stucky Romeo and Juliet Bekki Jo Schneider Pericles Gary McKim

Season Play Director 1979 The Tempest Gary McKim Julius Caesar Bekki Jo Schneider King John Albert Harris 1980 Macbeth Bekki Jo Schneider The Winter's Tale Stephen Schultz The Merry Wives of Windsor Gary McKim 1981 Twelfth Night Bekki Jo Schneider Hamlet Stephen Schultz Much Ado About Nothing Gary McKim 1982 Romeo and Juliet Adale 0'Brian As You Like It Bekki Jo Schneider Cymbeline Stephen Schultz 1983 Othello Bekki Jo Schneider The Taming of the Shrew Adale O'Brian Measure for Measure Stephen Schultz 1984 The Tempest Bekki Jo Schneider Richard II Stephen Schultz The Merchant of Venice Jimmy Bohr 1985 Much Ado About Nothing Jimmy Bohr Henry IV, Part I C. Hal Park The Merry Wives of Windsor Stephen Schultz 1986 The Comedy of Errors Cary Libkin Macbeth C. Hal Park Henry IV, Part 2 Jimmy Bohr 1987 King Lear Michael Hankins A Midsummer Night's Dream C. Hal Park Henry V Jimmy Bohr 1988 Romeo and Juliet Cary Libkin The Two Gentlemen of Verona Michael Hankins Julius Caesar C. Hal Park 1989 Twelfth Night Curt L. Tofteland Hamlet Robert Spera The Winter's Tale Elizabeth Ball 1990 Macbeth George E. Judy The Taming of the Shrew Curt L. Tofteland 1991 The Merry Wives of Windsor Laura Fine King Richard III Curt L. Tofteland Gammer Gurton's Needle Robert D. Moulton 1992 Much Ado About Nothing Curt L. Tofteland Othello Sharon Walton The Farce of the Worthy Master Pierre Patelin Juergen Tossmann 1993 King Richard II Alexia Visarion A Midsummer Night's Dream Curt L. Tofteland Les Plaideurs Juergen Tossmann 1994 The Comedy of Errors Curt L. Tofteland King Henry IV, part 1 Drew Fracher Pantalone's Examination James R. Tompkins 1995 As You Like it Curt L. Tofteland King Henry IV, part 2 Drew Fracher Pantalone's Challenge James R. Tompkins 1996 Two Gentlemen of Verona Curt L. Tofteland King Henry V Drew Fracher Pantalone Gets His Brandi J. Smith 1997 The Tempest Curt L. Tofteland Pantalone Rides Again Brandi J. Smith 1998 Macbeth Curt L. Tofteland Macpant Todd Espeland and Allison Williams 1999 The Taming of the Shrew Curt L. Tofteland The Taming of the Pantalone Todd Espeland & Allison Williams Celeste Santamassino

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