THE OFFICIAL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

 

The Official Shakespeare Festival of the State of Michigan is bringing drama, comedy, and a brand-new partnership to Wayne State University’s Hilberry Gateway​

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Get ready, Michigan: Shakespeare is heading to Midtown Detroit in grand style.

The Michigan Shakespeare Festival will celebrate its 30th Anniversary Season in July and August 2026 at the Hilberry Gateway, Wayne State University’s state-of-the-art performing arts center in the heart of Midtown Detroit. And for a festival known for sword fights, sharp wit, royal schemes, and unforgettable language, this anniversary season promises plenty to celebrate.

The 2026 MainStage lineup will feature Shakespeare’s gripping history play Richard III, starring Detroit native Rico Bruce Wade, along with the beloved romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Both productions will be directed by MSF Artistic Director Janice L. Blixt.

Rounding out the season 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 mischief, manners, and probably more than a few delightfully bad decisions.

The anniversary season also marks the beginning of an exciting 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.

“Wayne State’s theatre program focus has evolved in recent years toward more modern plays and musicals,” Barnes said. “We recognized the value of having a professional classical theatre company in residence, and the Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s reputation made it a natural partner.”

For Blixt, the move has a special full-circle feeling. She is a graduate of Wayne State’s M.F.A. Hilberry Repertory Company and is now returning with Michigan’s official Shakespeare Festival in tow.

“We’re thrilled to bring the MSF to Midtown Detroit this summer and to introduce audiences to the incredible Hilberry Gateway,” Blixt said.

The 2026 season also marks MSF’s return as a fully professional union theatre following a two-year hiatus during the pandemic era. Under Blixt’s leadership, the Festival will continue its mission of producing bold, ambitious classical theatre while hiring artists from metro Detroit, the Great Lakes region, and across the country.

The partnership will also create opportunities for Wayne State students, including internships, workshops, and residency experiences — giving the next generation of theatre artists a front-row seat to professional classical theatre in action.

Festival traditions will return as well. Audiences can enjoy “Bard Talks” before Friday and Saturday evening performances after opening nights, as well as Q&A sessions following all preview and matinee performances. In other words, the drama does not have to end when the curtain comes down.

“We’re excited to bring professional classical theatre back to Detroit and welcome audiences who are passionate about this work,” Blixt said. “With the Hilberry Gateway located near I-94, I-75, and M-10, audiences from across southeast Michigan will find it easy to visit while enjoying everything Midtown Detroit has to offer.”

With a landmark anniversary, a new Detroit home, a Wayne State partnership, and a season packed with kings, lovers, schemers, and comic troublemakers, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival’s 2026 season is shaping up to be a celebration worthy of the Bard himself.

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MICHIGAN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
July 1 - August 8
4715 Cass Ave. Detroit, MI 48201
313-577-2972
MichiganShakespeareFestival.com