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, 
an 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.
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.
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