All’s Well That Ends Well: Michael Bradshaw Flynn On Bringing Back the Bard

Fifteen years ago, the idea of staging Shakespeare in Scranton carried a slight degree of skepticism amongst those in the New York theater world.

But Scranton native Michael Bradshaw Flynn decided to give it a try, crossing his fingers that at least 200 theater fans would show up in support of the Bard.

Instead, more than a 1,000 people crammed into Nay Aug Park for a performance of Shakespeare’s celebrated “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

In the years since, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival – also known as Scranton Shakes - has expanded into a year-round organization producing Shakespeare, musicals, youth theater, concerts, and new work development from its home inside The Marketplace at Steamtown.

On this episode of HarmonyTALK, host Lisa Champeau speaks with festival co-founder Michael Bradshaw Flynn, whose career has unfolded simultaneously in New York theater circles and Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Flynn’s on and off-Broadway credits include associate directing work on The Front Page, It’s Only a Play, Dada Woof Papa Hot at Lincoln Center Theater, and the national tour of The Sound of Music. He also served as assistant to the playwright for the Broadway production of The Nance, working alongside his mentor, playwright Douglas Carter Beane, along with Broadway legend Nathan Lane.

The conversation traces Flynn’s early immersion in theater through Arts Alive, the Scranton Cultural Center, and local summer stock programs, as well as the influence of a family steeped in storytelling traditions.

Now entering its 15th season under the theme Faith, the Scranton Shakespeare Festival will present Much Ado About Nothing, Carousel, Henry V, Saint Joan, Jesus Christ Superstar, youth ensemble productions, and a 15th anniversary gala.

For more information about this year’s festival, visit https://www.scrantonshakes.com/

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