Illinois Shakespeare Festival
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) is held in Bloomington, Illinois, United States at Ewing Theatre and in Normal, Illinois, United States at the Center for Performing Arts Theatre at Illinois State University. The Festival began in 1978 and celebrated its 45th season in 2023. The Festival has traditionally presented three plays. Although all three may be Shakespeare plays, the Festival has also included different types of theater, such as Restoration comedy, Commedia dell'arte, and works by contemporary playwrights. The Festival is produced by the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film at the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University. Performances take place at Ewing Cultural Center in Ewing Theatre, a re-creation of the Globe Stage complete with open air amphitheater. The Festival markets itself as "theatre under the stars." Before many nightly performances, the Festival has presented free pre-show entertainment, including live jazz, abbreviated versions of the play to come, or other light or short performances. In 2008, the Festival began shows aimed towards younger audiences called Theatre for Young Audiences, which have traditionally been performed on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. The Festival runs from the later part of June through the middle of August. Unless otherwise noted, the plays are written by William Shakespeare. Cal Pritner (1978-1991) John Sipes (1991-1995) Cal MacLean (1996-2006) Alec Wild (2007) Deb Alley (2008-2012) Kevin Rich (2013–2017) John C. Stark (2017-present) Illinois Shakespeare Festival homepage Illinois Shakespeare Festival History