Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival
A regular event for nearly four decades, the Lake Tahoe
Shakespeare Festival is held each summer at picturesque
The festival usually begins in July and runs throughout August. Due to the popularity of the event, ticket sales begin in January by phone and hours for calling and purchasing tickets increase in March. A variety of different seating options are available, including reserved and non-reserved seating, so the festival truly does fit all budgets. Tickets can be printed on a home computer or may be picked up at a will-call window at the event. Seating in the Lower and Upper Gallery is not assigned but on a first-come basis.
The Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors and Convention Bureau has been managing the event since 1995 and, as such, built a magnificent $2 million stage facility that was used for the first time in 2000. This state-of-the-art stage and the fine productions played upon it have made the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival one of the most lauded outdoor arts festivals in the country and visitors come from all around the country to partake of the offerings.
The actors at the festival are experienced Equity members who, in many cases, have performed Shakespeare in numerous places around the globe. Each year, the festival includes one or two or The Bard’s great plays, performed nightly on the grand stage. In addition, guests can also take advantage of the Monday and Friday night Sand Harbor Music Series, which sponsors concerts that include a variety of musical genres such as classical, jazz, blues, rock, Latin, and soul. A list of well-known national and regional performers hit the stage on those evenings, with a total of about 12 different performers and performances during July and August.
Tickets for the plays and musical performances can be purchased individually but are also available in packages that may include tickets to both the play and a musical performance or might include all the Monday night or all the Friday night concerts. Package plans provide free tickets to at least one performance, depending on which package is chosen.
The on-site restaurant, Shakespeare’s Kitchen, allows theater goers to wine and dine before the show. In most instances, ticket holders who are in the non-reserved seats simply pre-order food from the kitchen, pick it up at a designated location, and enjoy it at before curtain time. Those sitting in reserved sections can enjoy wait service but must order their meal so that it is delivered prior to curtain time as no serving is done during the performance.
The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival also offers
one-week camps for kids who are interested in learning more about The Bard.
The camps are for kids 8-13 and 14-18 and are held at the D.W. Reynolds
Non-Profit Community Center in
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