Fans of the English bard William Shakespeare are in for a treat this week.

The Park County Arts Council presents a free Montana Shakespeare in the Parks performance of William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” today (Tuesday) at 6:30 p.m. in Washington Park. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket and picnic dinner. Rain location will be at the Powell Commons. This performance is made possible from grants from the Wyoming Arts Council through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wyoming State Legislature and from donations to the Park County Arts Council from people just like you.

A 6:30 p.m. performance of “Hamlet” will be given on Wednesday at Canal Park in Cody.

Both productions have elements of comedy and tragedy (and in the case of Winter’s Tale, a healthy dose of magic). All ages are welcome to attend and enjoy the performances.

“The Winter’s Tale” spans 16 years during which a jealous king accuses his wife of infidelity and exiles his newborn daughter to Bohemia where she is raised by shepherds and, ultimately, falls in love with the Bohemian king’s son. Audiences are sure to relish this story of love, loss and forgiveness.

“The play is one of Shakespeare’s last, and as such is blessed with a writer who really understood how to manipulate the form to achieve new heights of storytelling,” shares Eva Breneman, director of “The Winter’s Tale.”

“Hamlet” tells the story of the young prince of Denmark who returns home following the sudden death of his father. The most famous ghost story ever told, Hamlet grapples with the weight of his responsibility to avenge his father’s death, to out-maneuver his traitorous uncle, and “to be, or not to be.” With some of Shakespeare’s most memorable lines and iconic characters, audiences won’t want to miss this tale of love and loss, duty vs desire, and the power of performance.

“I do believe that all of Shakespeare’s plays are timeless, but Hamlet has a point of view that everybody can identify with. I think we are all individually a version of “Hamlet” and can relate to the character on some level,” says Kevin Asselin, MSIP executive artistic director and director of Hamlet.

The company will perform in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota and Washington, serving the largest number of communities to date. Most events will feature pre-show performances by local artists and audiences are encouraged to bring a picnic to enjoy an evening together among friends and neighbors.

Ushering Shakespeare’s immortal stories of life, love and tragedy into a modern era, MSIP is dedicated to preserving the cultural traditions of theatre and literature through live, professional performances that are free for all people, for all time.

For information, call the Park County Arts Council at 307-899-6693.