The 40th Annual Kern Shakespeare Festival

Friday, September 20, 2024

The Kern Shakespeare Festival is back and bigger than ever! For our historic 40th season, we're inviting back old friends, welcoming new faces, and celebrating 40 incredible years of producing Shakespeare in Kern County. This year's plays are an exciting collection of comedy, drama, hilarity, and emotion. You won't want to miss any of the action!

For this year's festival, we'll be presenting our three plays across the entire Edward Simonsen Performing Arts Center! The Festival kicks off with Twelfth Night, one of Shakespeare's most perfect and beloved comedies, playing under the stars in the Outdoor Theater. Running in repertory with Twelfth Night will be Hamlet, starring BC Theatre professor Cody Ganger as the titular princess and featuring innovative tech like we never have before, in the Indoor Theater. Closing out the 40th KSF is the stunningly honest and humorous play How to Defend Yourself by Liliana Padilla, a critically acclaimed new play about community, consent, and healing, playing in the Black Box Theater (PAC 107).

Ticket are available now through the Performing Arts Ticket page.