Chloe McLeod in Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Photo by McLeod9 Creative

Originally published in 2024. Updated in spring 2026.

“Something [fantastic] this way comes!”

Let’s face it. Shakespeare can be confusing. “Thee” and “thou” can often sound like a foreign language. But enter Shakespeare in the Parking Lot…stage right. DCPA’s Education and Community Engagement Department returns with its popular program for a seventh season. And these aren’t your typical performances.

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is exactly what it sounds like — stripped-down, abridged versions of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream centered around a pickup truck “set” in the middle of a parking lot.

This acting troupe not only takes these productions to area schools, it also performs the plays free to the public at community centers every fall and spring. From April 18 through May 9, the program will visit various community partners throughout the area. The public is invited and encouraged to attend one of these free performances.