Season tickets for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) will be available for purchase beginning Tuesday, February 25. Individual tickets will go on sale Tuesday, March 18. The 2025 season includes two Shakespeare plays and an Oscar Wilde classic in repertory performances, June 25 through August 2.
Led by ISF’s new artistic director, Robert Quinlan, the season will open with A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Kim McKean. Fairies conjure magic and cast spells on unwitting humans as they attempt to navigate love and rehearse a play in the woods outside Athens. Overflowing with humor and magic, this play is a celebration of theatre, love, and life.
Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, makes its festival debut directed by Quinlan. Widely regarded as one of the funniest plays ever written, Wilde’s comedy of manners lampoons British high society while showcasing a bevy of witty characters as they attempt to unravel the identity of a mysterious man named “Earnest.”
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, will be directed by Vanessa Stalling, an Equity Jeff Award-winning Chicago director. Prince Hamlet seeks the truth about his father’s death and ghostly appearance while embarking on a quest to discover his purpose in Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy.
Patrons can anticipate other staples of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival including the 2025 Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) production, Who’s There?!? by Nancy Steele Brokaw and directed by Lori Adams. What happens when Hamlet wanders into A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Puckish mischief? Downright skullduggery? Join us for a 40-minute romp as we explore these famous plays. We will need your help to tell our tale. Hear real Shakespeare words, but not too many. Audiences of all ages are invited to the yearly TYA play, a free family-friendly production staged on Thursday and Saturday mornings on the Ewing grounds.
The popular Summer Camps for Youth program will return with classes for students grades 6-12 July 7 through August 1. Scholarships will be available based on individual need and camp enrollment. Theatre workshops for adults will also be taught by Illinois State University scholars.
For more information, visit IllinoisShakes.com or call the ISF Box Office at (309) 438-2535.
