Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival) is a yearly summer Shakespeare theatre festival founded in 1985 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to productions of plays by William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, the festival's activities include medieval feasts, workshops, tours, art displays, special matinees, and a free community stage.

History

The festival was founded in part by Gordon McCall in 1985, launching with a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream staged on a golf course. McCall remained artistic director until 1991, when the role was assumed by Henry Woolf, a British-born actor/playwright/director. Between the years 1991 and 2000, Woolf is credited as director on 16 of the festival’s productions. Among these are several productions of non-Shakespeare plays, including Harold Pinter's Ashes to Ashes. Woolf retired as artistic director in 2001, and the role was subsequently filled by Mark von Eschen. Having previously been involved in the festival in a number of roles, including associate artistic director, von Eschen remained in his post until 2014. Von Eschen is credited as having directed roughly 24 productions during this period. Will Brooks took up the position of Artistic Producer following von Eschen's departure, and remained in the position until the festival's 2021 season. On August 1, 2020, construction was completed on a permanent amphitheater for the festival, containing 250 seats and three additional buildings for use as a dressing room, bar, and box office.

Production history

The following production history is sourced from the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan website.