WEST CHESTER, PA — Shakespeare is coming to life in downtown West Chester as students from across Chester County prepare to step onto a professional stage for a day of performance, creativity, and collaboration.
The 2026 Chester County Shakespeare Festival will bring elementary, middle, and high school students to Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, May 20, offering young performers the rare opportunity to present their work in a professional theater environment.
Organized through the Chester County Intermediate Unit in partnership with Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, the festival will feature five student groups performing original interpretations of Shakespearean works, along with workshops and competitions designed to spark excitement about theater and literature.
Student Creativity Takes Center Stage
Festival organizers say the event is designed to encourage students not just to study Shakespeare, but to actively interpret and reimagine the material in their own voices.
“What makes this festival so special is the enthusiasm that students bring to their work,” said Jay Della Ragione, special events coordinator for the Chester County Intermediate Unit. “They’re not just performing; they’re interpreting, collaborating, and bringing their own perspective to each piece.”
Della Ragione added that performing on a professional stage gives students a powerful sense that their ideas and creativity matter.
New High School Competition Added
For the first time this year, the festival will include a sonnet and monologue competition open to high school students.
Participants from Downingtown West High School and Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School will join the program, performing Shakespeare-inspired poetry and dramatic pieces alongside younger students.
The festival will also feature age-specific workshops aimed at helping students explore acting, storytelling, and performance techniques in a hands-on setting.
Bringing Shakespeare to a New Generation
Organizers say the long-running festival’s mission has always been to make Shakespeare more engaging and accessible for students throughout Chester County.
This year’s move into a professional theater venue is intended to deepen that experience by surrounding students with the energy and atmosphere of live performance.
Event Details
- What: 2026 Chester County Shakespeare Festival
- When: Wednesday, May 20, 2026
- Where: Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, 226 N. High St., West Chester, PA 19380
- More Info: https://www.cciu.org/shakespeare
With students performing, collaborating, and exploring classic works in new ways, the festival continues to blend arts education with community celebration—while helping a new generation discover the enduring power of live theater.
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