The UofL College of Arts and Sciences, Commonwealth Center for the Humanities and Society and Kentucky Shakespeare are encouraging audience members to wear red to The Bard’s Cards evenings at in Central Park in Old Louisville.

UofL English professors and literature scholars will give pre-show talks, beginning at 7:15 p.m. on the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater stage, where the Kentucky Shakespeare performances will follow at 8 p.m. The events and speakers will be:

• June 4: talk by Joseph Turner before the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”
• July 16: talk by Andrew Rabin before the history play “Richard II”
• July 26: talk by Matthew Biberman before “The Merchant of Venice,” a production of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Globe Players high school training program.

Seating on benches is first come, first served, but patrons also are allowed to bring chairs and blankets. Food and beverages are available for purchase. Central Park is at 1340 S. Fourth St.; parking is available along the bordering Fourth, Magnolia, Sixth and Park streets.

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“They transform from student actors to characters right before the children’s eyes,” said Bert Harris, retired theater professor, who started the program in 1975. “It opens children up to theater, often for the first time, and hopefully a lifelong interest is born.”

Throughout the last four decades, the  has become one of the most visible aspects of the Theatre Arts Department, having performed for more than 150,000 people, mostly local school children.��

The department is celebrating the company’s more than 40 years of success and raising funds to support the program with an event from 6-8 p.m. June 18, at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, 1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.��

The company hopes to raise enough money to purchase a van for transporting performers.

“Currently, the students use their own cars, which presents challenges. Sometimes there’s not enough room to transport all the actors and the costumes,” said Nefertiti Burton, department chair. “We want to make it easier for them. And, we want to recognize and appreciate the tremendous impact the company has had in our community.”

At the event, the Theatre Arts Department will honor Harris, the founding Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts at UofL, and director of the rep company for 30 years. The department will also bestow Zan Sawyer-Dailey, associate director at Actors Theatre, with the first ever Mitzi Friedlander award. Sawyer-Dailey has taught a masters class at UofL for more than a decade.

“Zan has been a real support to our program,” Burton said. “As graduate students, all the students in the Rep Company are required to take her class. She’s been instrumental in their training. We wanted to lift that up and celebrate her for her contributions to the department.”

Burton said the award was also an opportunity to recognize Friedlander, a well-known figure in Louisville’s theater world, who earned the first masters degree in Theatre Arts given by UofL.

As an undergraduate, Friedlander frequently performed at the Playhouse (in its original location where Ekstrom Library now stands) and was also in the original cast of “The Stephen Foster Story” in 1966.��She’s performed with Actors Theatre of Louisville, the Louisville Ballet, Kentucky Opera Association and Louisville Children’s Theatre. She’s taught Theatre Arts at UofL and developed a small endowment for the department.��Notably, Friedlander recorded more than 2,000 titles during her 50-year career at American Printing House for the Blind, and lent her voice to hundreds of other recordings.

“We’re very proud of her and the work she’s done,” Burton said.

The Repertory Company’s performances are offered at minimal cost for any non-profits but are most often performed at elementary schools. The plays focus on social justice, character-building, cultural diversity and inclusion and have accompanying study guides that integrate into school curricula.

The company offers four paid assistantships for UofL students. There have been more than 115 members and many are now working throughout the nation as theater professionals.

The company only charges the cost of gas for travel. The service is supported by the university, College of Arts and Sciences and the Theatre Arts Department.

“This work is offered at such a discounted fee as a way for Theatre Arts to serve our community,” Burton said. “We believe in the art of theater and the power it can have to reach children and unlock their imaginations. We want to see the arts continue to grow in our community and we know that art is expensive to bring to schools where artistic funding is in jeopardy or has been eliminated.”

Tickets for the anniversary celebration on June 18 are $40 and include hors d’oeuvres and dinner by Ladyfingers Catering, music by Joe DeBow and a dance performance by Safiyyah Dance Company. There also will be a silent auction and sponsorship opportunities. The public is encouraged to register .

Summer is the time to don your red shirt, show school spirit and brush up on Shakespeare with free UofL talks and outdoor Kentucky Shakespeare performances June 4, June 19 and July 10 in Louisville’s Central Park.

The College of Arts and Sciences, Alumni Association and Kentucky Shakespeare are encouraging audience members to wear red to The Bard’s Cards evenings at Shakespeare in the Park. People can order Bard’s Cards T-shirts when they register at uofl.me/as-bards-cards-2016.

Talks by theater arts and English professors will begin at 7:15 p.m. on the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater stage, where the Kentucky Shakespeare performances will follow at 8 p.m.

Kevin Gawley, resident scenic and lighting designer in theater arts, leads off with his June 4 talk preceding “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.”

Before “A Winter’s Tale” June 19, Renaissance drama scholar Hristomir Stanev from the English department will be the speaker.

Zhanna Goldentul, resident costume designer in theater arts, wraps up the series with her July 10 talk before “Romeo and Juliet.”

Seating on benches is first come, first served, but patrons also are allowed to bring chairs and blankets. Food and beverages are available for purchase. The park is at 1340 S. Fourth St.; parking is available along the bordering Fourth, Magnolia, Sixth and Park streets.

The events are presented as part of UofL’s sponsorship of , a communitywide collaboration marking the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with activities surrounding the national First Folio traveling exhibit. Check for more information on related events at UofL and elsewhere.