Top Five

Shakespeare Beyond the Park

The stars of the New York Shakespeare Festival get the banner headlines. But thanks in large part to such celebrities, the Bard has become as essential to summer as flip-flops and beach-house shares.

By Logan Hill

1. Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
This strong fest stages Henry V and The Comedy of Errors just about an hour from the city in idyllic Garrison. Yes, "this valley fits the purpose passing well." (Garrison, New York; 845-265-9575. Through September 1.)

2. Aquila Theatre Company
The excellent, unbridled Off Broadway company responsible for last year's mod Much Ado stages a Comedy of Errors that's fit, they say, for a "1920s Turkish cartoon dream." (East 13th Street Theater; 212-239-6200. Through September 1.)

3. International Festival of Arts & Ideas
For New Haven's annual arts festival, director Richard Jones, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a brand-new production of A Midsummer Night's Dream "have arriv'd at last unto the wished Haven of my bliss." (Shubert Theater, New Haven; 888-artidea. June 26–30.)

4. Kings County Shakespeare Company
Director Deborah Wright Houston stages The Tempest in Brooklyn Heights. (Founders Hall Theater at St. Francis College, Brooklyn; 212-206-1515. Through June 30.)

5. Shakespeare & Company
Instead of celebrating with comedies, the Berkshires troupe marks its twenty-fifth year with dark productions of Henry V and Macbeth. (Founders' Theatre, Lenox, Massachusetts; 413-637-3353. Through September 1.)