Shakespeare on the Lawn

Shakespeare on the Lawn, a partnership between Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House Foundation, presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream, July 17-July 21, 2024. Tickets may be purchased online at shakespeareonthelawn.com. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is sponsored by Craig & Betty Miller, Nancy Main, & Iles Funeral Homes. Shakespeare’s famously hilarious comedy is a filled with mischief and chaos from the start: a romantic entanglement between four lovers who run away to the forest and become bewitched by faeries, a dispute between a faerie king and queen who are manipulated by a rascally fairy named Puck, and to top it all off, the misadventures of a group of amatuer actors rehearsing a play in the forest who fall victim to Puck's pranks. In this chaos, we find ourselves asking serious questions about love in an unserious way: Why do we love who we love? Could we love someone else just as much? Is who we love random or fated? Shakespeare on the Lawn is one of Des Moines’ premier summer traditions. Since 2009, Iowa Stage Theatre Company and Salisbury House Foundation have been presenting expertly crafted Shakespeare among the magical English gardens of the Salisbury House. Located at 4025 Tonawanda Drive in Des Moines, audience members are welcome to bring their own foldable bag chairs, a small blanket, and a picnic. Plastic lawn chairs are provided and designated blanket areas are limited.