Mississippi Shakespeare Festival

06/12/2026

COME WORK WITH US!

Come be a part of sharing the fun and Shakespeare with Mississippi Students as part of our paid professional intern company for 2026-2027!

https://shorturl.at/OmwWL

05/30/2026

See you all this weekend!!

05/29/2026

Come see the show tomorrow!!

The Mississippi Shakespeare Festival returns to downtown Jackson! Richard III takes the stage at Smith Park on May 30th at 4:00pm and May 31st at 2:30pm.

05/29/2026

As always, we're watching the weather and have a rain plan! Arts Center of Mississippi! We'll be working with Downtown Jackson Partners to make the call should we have to pivot! Keep an eye on the event page! Shakespeare in The Park - Richard III

05/27/2026

Corey Daniels (Clarence + King Edward) is a senior at Belhaven University Theatre where he has appeared in 12 Angry Jurors, Glimpses of the Moon, and The Importance of Being Earnest, among others. Has has also made appearances at Pearl Community Theatre in such plays as You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown where he held the title role. Corey has also appeared at New Stage Theatre as part of their Unframed series.

05/27/2026

FRANK DOLANSKY (Richard) received his MFA in acting from Michigan State University in 1992 and brings you his third role with the MS Shakespeare Festival; his most recent being Kent alongside the illustrious Ward Emling’s Lear, and Raven McGowan’s Cordelia. Frank loves the arts and is thankful for another opportunity to honor God as an actor. In preparing the role of Richard, he was amazed at the poignancy of these simple truths from scripture: “The heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked; who can know it?” and “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Yet, with that is also the cure: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” Yes, we’re sin-sick to the core and, like Richard, quickly and easily justify ourselves. But we don’t have to stay there. Frank loves that! One of his daily goals is to “love the LORD his God with all his heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love his neighbor as himself.”

05/26/2026

Ivy Graham is a graduate of Belhaven University, where she earned a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BS in Mathematics. She was last seen with the Mississippi Shakespeare Festival as Ariel in The Tempest. At Belhaven, she performed in many shows including The Spitfire Grill (Effy), The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch), and Steele Magnolias (Ouiser). She also performed at New Stage Theatre in The Sound of Music (Nun, Ensemble, U/S Sister Margaretta) and New Stage Unframed in Lost Girl (Doctor). Some of her other favorite roles include The Drowsy Chaperone (Janet), The Addams Family (Morticia), Mamma Mia (Tanya), The Music Man (Zaneeta), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hippolyta). She is thankful to perform with this talented cast!

05/26/2026

Zane Hartfield (Buckingham) Is making his fourth appearance on the Mississippi Shakespeare Festival stage, having appeared previously in Much Ado About Nothing, The Tempest and The Nutcracker. Other stage credits include A Christmas Carol, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Sound of Music, The Mousetrap, Private Lives, The Foreigner, Over The River and Through the Woods, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Godspell, The Fantasticks, Reckless, The Traveling Lady, The Matchmaker, Alice in Wonderland, Amelia Earhart, Stardust, Antigone and Clue,the Musical. He has appeared in various television and radio commercials and will appear in a supporting role in the upcoming films Ginny's Faith, Guilty Pleasure and Sarah's Revenge.

01/14/2026

Thalia Mara is back!