Get ready for a summer of
magic.
JULY 23-31
The 2026 Lakeside Shakespeare Festival
Two of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Two weeks of performances.
It is with much excitement and anticipation that the new Northern Michigan non-profit The World’s a Stage announces the return of a beloved Benzie County tradition: the 2-week, 2-show Lakeside Shakespeare Festival.
We hope you’ll join us as we present William Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the tragedy of Macbeth with our cast of incredible Chicago actors in rotating repertory on Tank Hill in Frankfort.
A
MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM
&
THE TRAGEDY OF
MACBETH
Hello from The World's a Stage (TWAS)! My name is Leo Buzzell-Bevington, and I am the Executive Artistic Director here at TWAS. I am so incredibly excited to introduce you to this brand new organization.
TWAS is a non-profit dedicated to enriching & expanding the performing arts & theater education in Northwest Lower Michigan. It was formed by a group of folks in Benzie County & beyond who want to help nourish year-round performing arts programming that is engaging and accessible.
Our very first project: the 2026 Lakeside Shakespeare Festival! We're building on an incredible legacy of artistry to create a two-week, two-show season that brings professional theater to Frankfort, Michigan, and offers extensive educational opportunities, with an emphasis on sustainability.
If any of this sounds exciting to you, please don't hesitate to reach out and get involved, or consider making a donation to support the performing arts here in Benzie County!
Fare thee well,
Leo Buzzell-Bevington
A letter from our Executive Artistic Director.
$65k by February 15
FUNDRAISING GOAL
Thanks to this wonderful community, we reached our end-of-year giving goal of $50,000! We are truly blown away by your generous support, and we are so proud to be serving a community that is as dedicated to the performing arts as we are.
Help us meet our next benchmark of $65,000 by February 15th—your support toward our goal today will ensure that we have a substantial portion of our full $90,000 budget.
If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation to help make this year’s Lakeside Shakespeare Festival possible. This is an incredibly special project, and we are so honored to be working to continue Lakeside’s legacy into this new chapter — but we can’t do it without your help. Your donation makes a real impact on the festival at whatever level you’re able to give.
News
