Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

A head of state believes he has been betrayed, despite all evidence to the contrary. He sets out to destroy his perceived rival and ruins many people in the process. So begins William Shakespeare’s late-career play, “The Winter’s Tale.”

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company presents “Macbeth” in its annual Free Shakespeare on the Common production. On stage July 19 through Aug. 6, the play transforms the grassy knoll near the Parkman Bandstand into a spectacle of intrigue and violence driven by a powerful pair hungry for still more power.

One of the Western canon’s most famous romances, and tragedies, “Romeo and Juliet” takes the stage on Boston Common August 11 and 13. The free, public performances produced by Boston Lyric Opera in partnership with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) and the City of Boston aim to bring the city together under the stars to celebrate the art of drama.