Two Great Summer Shows Introduce Kids to Shakespeare

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is offering two great opportunities for children to experience the theater between now and Aug. 6 at the in Center Valley. 

First, the famous Dane of Denmark is presented to kids as Shakespeare for Kids opens, also known as S4K, providing kids as young as 4 with a full hour of what could very well be their first experience of Shakespeare.   

“Our first goal is to make sure that kids have fun,” says Erin Hurley, S4K creator and director of education for PSF.  Team Shakespeare and its trusty robot friend, Showbot, transform the play's interactive experience complete with props, musical instruments and puppets to deliver a high-energy performance.

Performances will be held from July 27 through Aug. 6 at 10am on the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University. All tickets cost $9, general admission, and are available online.

Second, the PSF Acting Intern Company presents Sleeping Beauty. The company is a hand-picked group of theater majors from DeSales who perform with professional actors from New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Audience members can meet the cast after every show.

Kids will have to wait and see if Sleeping Beauty be awakened by true love’s kiss or will her fairy godmothers be outsmarted by the wicked fairy. The play closes on Aug. 6, with daily performances at 10am starting Tuesday and 2pm matinees on Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Performances for Sleeping Beauty are staged at the Schubert Theatre. Tickets are available online and are $15 for adults or $11 for children 12 and under.