UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. —The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival will celebrate its annual Linny Fowler WillPower Tour with a free performance at DeSales University.
The 80-minute abridged production of "Macbeth" will take place at 8 p.m. Friday at the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave.
The free show coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) WillPower Tour, designed to make Shakespeare accessible and engaging for young audiences.
This year's "Macbeth" production will run through Nov. 18 and reach more than 6,000 students at over 45 schools and in 16 counties in the Lehigh Valley and New Jersey.
“It’s not just about understanding Shakespeare; it’s about students seeing themselves in his characters and finding their own voices through his words.”Kim Carson, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival director of education and community engagement
According to PSF, after the performance, there is a post-show discussion with the cast, student workshops led by trained actor-teachers, and a study guide for educators designed to complement Bard-related classroom curriculum.
“There’s nothing quite like that moment when a student’s face lights up — when Shakespeare’s words suddenly click and they realize these 400-year-old stories are speaking directly to them,” said Kim Carson, PSF’s director of education and community engagement.
“It’s not just about understanding Shakespeare; it’s about students seeing themselves in his characters and finding their own voices through his words.”
Linny Fowler's legacy
The program is named in honor of the late Marlene “Linny” Fowler, a Lehigh Valley philanthropist whose endowment gift continues to sustain the tour.
Fowler, a stained-glass artist and community leader who supported artists and arts organizations throughout the Lehigh Valley, was also one of the largest supporters of the ArtsQuest Foundation, which she helped found in 2003.
Each year, community leaders are recognized for their artistic achievements during ArtsQuest's Linny Awards.
The WillPower Tour is also supported by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through its Shakespeare in American Communities initiative, in partnership with Arts Midwest, as well as the Harry C. Trexler Trust, the Dexter F. and Dorothy H. Baker Foundation, Capital Blue Cross, and the Upper Bucks Community Fund at the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation.
“With this continued support, we’ve been able to expand our reach to 42 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties,” Carson said.
“That means more students — in cities, suburbs, and rural communities — get the chance to experience the power of live theater.”
