About us
The Scranton Shakespeare Festival is currently preparing its 8th season of offering free professional theatre to the public. SSF is a nonprofit, government-recognized 501(c)3 organization founded by Michael Bradshaw Flynn alongside a board of local community members and theatre professionals hailing from the Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) region.
IT ALL started...
back in 2011, when Scranton native, Michael Bradshaw Flynn concieved the idea to organize a free public performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Scranton's historic Nay Aug Park.
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Nearly 1,000 people made their way to the park to enjoy an afternoon of theatre. The production team was thrilled with the response and determined to continue, thus, the festival was born.
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Since then...
the festival has grown year by year.
The programming still has an emphasis on Shakespeare but now also includes a variety of contemporary plays and musicals and immersive productions like Damn Yankees at PNC Field and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at The Marketplace at Steamtown.
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SEE IT NOW,
BEFORE IT GOES...
SSF proudly provides a safe and creative space in which artists and company members can develop
original work. The festival is a great place to see brand new productions.
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More and more, shows that begin at SSF go on to enjoy further development and performances
elsewhere, including...
 CheeksThe new play from local performance artist, Lee Minora, was programmed at SSF '17 ahead of its month-long run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. |  Skin Of The TeethThe award winning new play from FAT CONTENT Theatre Company made its US premiere at SSF '17 before a successful run at Ophelia Theatre in New York City. |  Two Gentlemen Of VeronaIn the 2017 season, a playful production of Two Gentlemen Of Verona (directed by Randolph Curtis Rand) enjoyed a transfer to Times Square Arts Centre in New York City. |
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 Loose CannonLoose Cannon (by Brian Reno & Gabriel Vega Weissman, directed by Logan Reed) had its world premiere at SSF '15 before being transferred to the New York International Fringe Festival and was subsequently produced at SoHo Playhouse for their Encore Series. It is now published and available from the Dramatists Play Service. |  The Commedia RapunzelThe Commedia Rapunzel (created by and starring Sam LaFrage) was performed at SSF '15 before its run at the New York International Fringe Festival and subsequent run at SoHo Playhouse as part of their Encore Series. |  Robin Hood: The New MusicalThe folk musical adventure (now titled Hood: The Robin Hood Musical) written and directed by Tony nominated Douglas Carter Beane, was developed at SSF '15 before its transfer to the Dallas Theatre Center in 2017. |
With a little help
from our friends...
SSF is made possible by the generosity and sponsorship of local businesses and institutions, the financial support from local and national grants (including the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts) and the dedication of our team hailing from across the globe.
The festival also owes much of its success to the patronage, donations and continued support of its community; for that we thank you.
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If you are considering joining our donor list, please click here.
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Or, if you'd like to join our friendly team of volunteers, click here
"How like a dream is this I see and hear!
Love, lend me patience to forbear awhile."
Two Gentlemen of Verona