Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) with the following exciting performances during the 2017 season. Tickets are available now on the ISF website.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

What better way is there to celebrate ISF’s 40th anniversary than with a magical, musical, and imaginative interpretation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream? The family friendly production of Shakespeare’s world-famous comedy follows four young lovers into an enchanted forest for an unforgettable journey of trickery, laughter, and love. Featured in this production is a musical Puck, whose original score is sure to cast a spell on you!

Performed in the outdoor theater at the Ewing Cultural Center on June 28, 30; July  6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 20, 22, 23, 26, 28, and 30; and August 3, 5, 6, 9, and 11.

Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, adapted by Chris Coleman

Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s most fantastical plays, making it a perfect fit for a magical 40th! A brilliant princess, 2017_isf_40th-anniversary-logoan evil queen, a misguided king, and a thoroughly rotten clown are just some of the characters in this fairy tale romance, made even more whimsical and theatrical by Coleman’s six-person adaptation, in which five actors and a musician play all the parts!

Performed in the outdoor theater at the Ewing Cultural Center on June 29; July 1, 5, 7, 13, 15, 19, 21, 27, and 29; and August 2, 4, 10, and 12.

I Heart Juliet by the Q Brothers Collective (GQ, JQ, Jax, Pos)

The Q Brothers dazzled audiences in 2015 with Q Gents, their hilarious hip-hop adaption of Two Gentlemen of Verona. Their latest world premiere, I Heart Juliet, will be included in the 40th anniversary season. This time with 10 actors, the Q Brothers Collective is at it again, bringing their incredible energy, humor, and hip-hop verse to Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece Romeo & Juliet!

Performed in Illinois State’s indoor Westhoff Theatre on July 8, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, and 30, and August 1, 6, and 8.

2 thoughts on “Illinois Shakespeare Festival to celebrate 40th anniversary

  1. J edwards says:

    Why hip hop in Summer theater? Gosh darn! Anyone can adulterate Shakespeare Please! Don’t use your marvelous organization to undermine promotion of public’s growth.

  2. darlene k demattia says:

    we LOVED the hip hop version!!! great way to get the younger audiences involved. keep up the great job. Went 2 years ago and can’t wait to see I heart Juliet