Q: We love to attend plays by William Shakespeare and want to combine a festival with our summer travels. Where are the best Shakespeare events in the U.S.?

A: There are many, many excellent summer Shakespeare events, in both big cities and small communities throughout the country. If forced to choose examples, we recommend several below. For specific dates and schedules of plays and other events, contact the festivals by email:

1. Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (laketahoeshakespeare.com) is near the beautiful lake and beaches, on its gambling side in Nevada in July and August. The open-air events take place in Sand Harbor State Park.

2. Utah Shakespearean Festival June 29-August 25 (www.bard.org) is in Cedar City. Many of plays will be performed in the open-air Adams Shakespearean Theatre, including As You Like It, A Comedy of Errors and Henry V.

3. Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park, New York NY (gonyc.about.com/od/summer/a/shakespearepark) runs from June 10 through August 30, includes Shakespeare’s Twelth Night and Euripides’ The Bacchae.

4. Free Shakespeare in the Park, San Francisco CA (sfshakes.org) will be held from August 29 through September 20 at The Presidio's Main Post, Parade Ground Lawn, between Graham Street and Keyes Ave. There are also outdooor Shakespeare performances in August at Golden Gate Park's annual Renaissance Faire in its Shakespeare Gardens.