Summer Shakespeare | Summerguide | Illinois Times

“To be or not to be… that is the question.” Hear this famous line from Hamlet at three Shakespeare events in three separate venues this summer. Travel to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington, Shakespeare in the Park in St. Louis, or stay right here in Springfield for Shakespeare in Enos Park. Maybe hit all of the performances and find your favorite Hamlet actor and production. Plus, there is much more – at New Salem’s Theatre in the Park, and even a farcical take on Shakespeare at Muni Opera.

Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Bloomington

Ewing Manor’s beautiful grounds and the theater come alive from June to August with music, food and plays. Each summer two Shakespeare plays and a non-Shakespeare play are performed on a rotating basis. This year features Hamlet and Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, plus Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest.

The festival started in 1978 as part of Illinois State University’s College of Fine Arts. John Stark, who created more than 47 scene designs and has attended every show since 1992, recently retired as the artistic director.

“We have people who come to every show every summer, some who have been to every show since the festival began,” Stark said.

Robert Quinlan, who has directed plays over the years such as King Lear, has taken over as the artistic director.

“Acquiring the actors is a process,” he said. “We get interest from all over the world. We do a general call for auditions in Chicago plus online submissions. I take trips to schools to audition students. We have five union actors, five who are working professionals but not yet in a union and six student interns. The actors usually perform in all the plays.”

Those who come early to see the play can enjoy pre-show fun: bring your own food and drinks and spread out a blanket for a picnic on the grounds or grab a table in the courtyard. If packing a picnic isn’t your thing, enjoy food truck selections offered on specific days or purchase snacks, beer, wine and cocktails at the concession stand. Patrons are welcome to bring their own drinks and are even allowed to bring them into the outdoor theater.

Take time to walk around the grounds and through Genevieve Green Gardens, bursting with beautiful summer blooms; the area was started in memory of Genevieve Green by her husband, Bruce. Then, gather in the courtyard for music or a pre-show talk.

The theater, torn down in 1999, was rebuilt in 10 months in an amphitheater style, guests enter the main doors and descend to their seats. The stage is on the ground level, and often during the plays, actors enter from the main or side doors, from balconies built onstage and from backstage. The actors become intimate with the audience.

Ewing Manor, called the Castle, was built in 1928 by Davis and Hazle Buck Ewing. Davis Ewing was a cousin of Illinois Gov. Adlai Ewing Stevenson and Hazle was an heir to the Wrigley chewing gum family. Tours are given on certain days.

In addition to the nights to attend plays, there are summer camps for children from 3rd to 12th grade, and Young Audiences shows held on Thursdays and Saturdays at 10 a.m. throughout the season. Nancy Brokaw has been leading the program for 10 years.

“It is a fun time on the lawn with an interesting look at the plays,” she said. “This year we are calling it Who’s There, which will combine lines from both plays to pique the interest of the young at heart, whether kids or adults.”

For more information, visit illinoisshakes.com.

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival

The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival is marking its 25th year with three productions. This summer will kick off with Hamlet with shows Tuesday through Sunday, May 28- June 22, in Forest Park’s Shakespeare Glen. The performances start at 8 p.m. and are free, although a limited number of reserved paid tickets are available. Bring your own picnic and drinks (alcohol allowed) as no food is available for purchase. Make it a day and visit the zoo or art museum beforehand, both close by.

From July 8-Aug. 17, the Shakespeare Festival is partnering with the Saint Louis Zoo for a fun take on Romeo and Juliet, a performance of Romeo and Zooliet. The 75-minute production, fun for young and old, is based on the idea that the zoo animals decide to present their own Shakespeare production after the zookeepers have left for the night. Using puppetry by Michael Curry Design (The Lion King on Broadway), it shares the story of the star-crossed lovers, now a prairie dog and grizzly bear. Shows run Tuesday-Sunday nights on Historic Hill at the Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive.

Rounding out the season will be A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream from Aug. 19-Sept. 13. The production is a music-filled remount of the 2022 TourCo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by artist Tre’von Griffith with an all-Black cast and creative team. It was nominated for best ensemble in a comedy at the 2022 St. Louis Theater Circle Awards. The 90-minute shows will be performed in various parks throughout the St. Louis area with a few close by in Illinois, such as Edwardsville and Belleville. The free shows start at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit stlshakes.org.

Enos Park, Springfield

For the second year the Springfield Area Arts Council has partnered with the Enos Park Neighborhood Improvement Association, the Springfield Park District and Downtown Springfield Inc., to present two Shakespearean plays, Comedy of Errors at 6 p.m. on Friday, July 25, and Hamlet at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. The Starling Company, a traveling troupe of five actors, performs throughout the Midwest in two plays a summer. Their approach offers a fun and fast look at the Shakespeare plays. The plays are performed in full but take around 90 minutes, and the setting is often much different from Shakespeare’s time.

Bella Szabo, director of the Springfield Arts Council said, “This is our second summer offering Shakespeare. Last year the performance of Twelfth Night was set in the 1910s so we look forward to seeing the unique setting for this summer’s plays.”

Tickets are free – bring a chair or blanket – or some VIP seating is available for $25. For more information, visit springfieldartsco.org.

Springfield Muni Opera

For a totally different take on Shakespeare, head to the Muni’s production of Something Rotten, a musical farce set in 1545. The Bottom brothers struggle to write a musical, competing against their contemporary William Shakespeare.

Performances will be offered May 30-June 1 and again June 4-7. For more information, visit themuni.org.

Theater in the Park at Lincoln’s New Salem

Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy with mistaken identities and playful jokes, will be one of the five shows offered this summer.

Director Mark Buckholz said, “The play occurs during the ancient feast of the Epiphany so there will be holiday props, celestial imagery and full use of the stage and balconies to bring the romantic comedy alive.”

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. from July 10-13 and food is available to purchase. For more information, visit theatreinthepark.net.