Summer is Shakespeare’s real time to shine. Everywhere you turn during these warm months around Chicago and beyond, you can find a variety of Shakespearean productions tempting you to stave off the beach for a moment on a blanket as the bard weaves you a tale. From error-filled comedies to tempests to lovers in a dreamy forest, there are plenty of options to get your fill of Will.

But not to worry, if the Shakespearean rhythms aren’t your bag, there are still some options for those who want to check out other playwrights or enjoy tunes from their favorite musicals. This list of seven summer theater stops, both within Chicago and just beyond, should help those looking to experience theater in a way only summer can provide.

Oak Park Festival Theatre: Head under the stars and the canopy of Oak Park’s Austin Gardens for a tale of lovers who steal away to a forest full of enchantments and fairies. The Shakespearean fantasy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed here by Peter G. Andersen, is one of the bard’s most popular plays. When four lovers and a troupe of amateur actors enter a forest where fairies reside, tangled threads and misdirected affections take center stage to tell a story of transformations that feels ideal to be experienced outside. Taylor Dalton, Julio Cesar Gutierrez, Rachel Jones and Lucas Prizant star as the four lovers, joined by Will Wilhelm as the mischievous Puck. July 13-Aug. 19 at Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Ave., Oak Park; tickets $38 (Thursdays are “pay what you can”) at 708-300-9396 and oakparkfestival.com

Porchlight Music Theatre: Breaking the Shakespeare trend in Chicago parks this summer is “Broadway in Your Backyard,” Porchlight’s free concert series. Though it might not satisfy a craving for a full-length play or musical in the summer air, this 60-minute concert includes hits from across the Broadway songbook, including tunes from “Funny Girl,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Rent,” “Hairspray” and more. Part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, “Broadway in Your Backyard” is codirected by Frankie Leo Bennett and Michael Weber, with music direction by Linda Madonia. Through Aug. 8 at various parks; free, more information at porchlightmusictheatre.org

Chicago Shakespeare in the Parks: Now in its twelfth year, Chicago Shakespeare heads back out to area parks this summer, combining with neighborhood artists from Austin, Chinatown, Englewood, Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, Little Village and West Pullman to present an all-ages musical revue. This year’s pop-up performances, titled “The Hero Within,” meld popular music and multidisciplinary performances with scenes and speeches from Shakespearean plays as the performers explore the theme of everyday heroes. Tor Campbell directs and choreographs this imaginative new work. July 25-Aug. 5 at various parks; free, more information at chicagoshakes.com

American Players Theatre: For anyone looking to get out of the city for a day, or the weekend, Spring Green, Wisconsin, has a summer stop waiting within its wooded campus. Featuring a quarter-mile walk (or shuttle ride) through the trees to a 1,075-seat outdoor amphitheater as well as a 201-seat indoor theater, APT produces nine plays that perform in a rotating repertory. July’s offerings include Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” David Ives’ “The Liar,” Marco Ramirez’s “The Royale,” Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” and Sonya Kelly’s “Once Upon a Bridge,” with additional plays opening in August and into the fall. Through Nov. 19 at American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Road, Spring Green, Wisconsin; tickets at 608-588-2361 and americanplayers.org

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company: Trek down to Indianapolis and take a seat in the Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre at Riverside Park, the home of Indy Shakes. This summer’s free main stage production is Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labor’s Lost,” a comedy that follows four young men, who decide to abstain from romantic relationships, and the women whose wit and intellect challenge their resolve. Arrive early to enjoy food and drinks from a variety of local vendors, or pack a picnic to dine on the grass. July 20-22 and July 27-29 at Riverside Park, 2441 N. White River Parkway East Drive, Indianapolis; free, more information at indyshakes.com

Midsommer Flight: Directed by producing artistic director Beth Wolf, Midsommer Flight once again heads out to Chicago parks with this summer’s presentation of “Cymbeline.” One of Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays, “Cymbeline” is a fairy tale of a sort, filled with true love, an evil stepmother queen, deceit and disguised identities. All performances are free, and with no reserved seating, you can bring your own chairs and blankets and settle in for a picnic on the grass before enjoying the 100-minute performance. Through Aug. 13 at various parks; free, reservations at midsommerflight.com

Illinois Shakespeare Festival: Located on the campus of Illinois State University, the festival’s 2023 season features productions of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” and “The Tempest” alongside a staging of Lauren Gunderson’s “The Book of Will.” The first is a farcical story of mistaken identity, the second dives into a magical world, and the third takes a step back and asks its audience to consider a world without Shakespeare’s First Folio, which was published in 1623 and contained 36 plays. Through Aug. 5 at 48 Sunset Road, Bloomington; tickets at 309-438-2535 or illinoisshakes.com

Jerald Pierce is a freelance writer.