St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival - A season of innovation!
The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival stands as Eastern Ontario’s leading outdoor summer theatre experience.
Set along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in the charming town of Prescott, the festival brings world-class professional productions to life in a beautiful open-air riverside amphitheatre—where classic theatre meets one of the region’s most scenic waterfront settings.
Snapshot of the 2026 Season
R&J and Joni
Text and Music by William Shakespeare and Joni Mitchell
Co-Created by Joey Herbison, Julia Nish-Lapidus, Cara Pantalone, and James Wallis
Performed at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre
July 16 to August 8
Directed by Julia Nish-Lapidus
Music Direction by Joey Herbison
Movement Direction by Breanne Tice
This world-premiere adaptation of Romeo and Juliet brings Shakespeare’s words together with the timeless music of Canadian icon Joni Mitchell in a fully staged musical. Audiences will experience a new way of seeing and hearing one of the most famous plays in the English language, with a unique musical perspective.
Don’t miss this world premiere!
Macbeth at the Tower
By William Shakespeare
Performed at the Maitland Tower
July 24 to August 7
Directed by James Wallis
A walk-about production of Shakespeare’s Scottish tragedy. This immersive production will see the story of Macbeth happening all around you, as you change locations for sections of the play, experiencing Shakespeare up close and personal in an epic historical setting.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind immersive experience!
Spotlight Series
SHINING A LIGHT ON LOCAL TALENTS
Performed at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre
Tuesdays July 21, July 28, and August 4
Over three Tuesdays in the summer we will be welcoming three local artists and companies to take the stage, showcasing the varied and immense talent in Eastern Ontario.
Stay tuned for all the details to be announced soon!
Looking Back …
The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival began to take shape in 2002 after a small, self-produced, touring production of Romeo and Juliet was brought to the area, according to Festival information. The community was charmed by the idea of having live theatre in its midst and it was agreed that the company could utilize the outdoor amphitheater for a full production of The Tempest the following summer.
In the summer of 2006, the theatre expanded to two mainstage Shakespeare productions, a full Sunday series, and an education program. In 2014, the SLSF had the distinction of being the only Canadian theatre to present Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s international touring production of Hamlet for two sold-out performances. From there, a team of local volunteers was recruited to perform as crowds and soldiers in the 2014 productions of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, facilitating work on a scale that had not yet been seen, as well as a series of community productions as fundraisers for the Festival that exclusively featured local amateur actors.
Proud Community
With no other professional outdoor theatre in the St. Lawrence Seaway area, the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival fulfills a key role in the artistic life of the region.
Get details on the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 season by visiting www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca or call the box office at 613-925-5788.
