Event Information

In July and August 2026, the Festival will take the stage at the Hilberry Gateway, Wayne State University's state-of-the-art performing arts center. The season will feature Shakespeare's Richard III, starring Detroit native Rico Bruce Wade, and the ever-popular romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Both productions will be directed by MSF Artistic Director Janice L. Blixt. Also joining the lineup is the world premiere adaptation of George Farquhar's The Beaux' Stratagem: A Comedy of Bad Manners, adapted and directed by Festival Artistic Associate Robert Kauzlaric. With a title like that, audiences can expect schemes, charm, questionable choices, and the kind of comic chaos that makes summer theatre sparkle.

The 2026 season also launches a new producing partnership between the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and Wayne State University. The collaboration began in 2024, when Michael J. Barnes, acting chair of the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State, approached Blixt about bringing the award-winning classical theatre company to the Hilberry Gateway, which opened in 2023.

Date and Time: Wednesday, 15 July 2026 at 14:00 - Sunday, 19 July 2026 at 18:00

Venue details: Hilberry Gateway, 4715 Cass Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, 48202, United States

Price:
Pick your seats - tickets start at: USD 20.00