Festival 56′s Shakespeare in the Park Returns To Princeton

Small town meets big drama at Princeton’s Festival 56, a renowned celebration of the performing arts that brings together rising acting talent from across the country. This weekend, you can catch the skilled ensemble of performers staging productions of “Urinetown: The Musical” (through July 21) and “Shakespeare’s R & J” (July 14, 21, 24).

Shakespeare in the Park: “Shakespeare’s R & J”

July 14, 21, 24

Soldiers & Sailors Park, Princeton

Festival 56′s Shakespeare in the Park series has long been known for pushing the boundaries of community theater. In 2013, it staged a large war reenactment in the streets of Princeton to kick off the production of “Romeo and Juliet.” This year, they return to the bard’s classic text for a modernized take on the classic romance by playwright Joe Calarco.

Festival 56′s Shakespeare in the Park continues in Princeton’s Soldiers & Sailors Park at 7:30 p.m. July 14, 21 and 24. Completely free to attend, the production of “Shakespeare’s R & J” is a reimagined adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” told through the eyes of high school boarding school students.

Four young prep school students, tired of going through the usual drill of conjugating Latin and tedious school routines, decide to vary their overly governed lives. After school, one breaks out a copy of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” and they all take turns reading the play aloud. The Bard’s words and the story itself are thrilling to the boys, and they are swept away, enmeshed in the emotion so much that they break school rules in order to continue their readings.

Although they had been taking turns playing all the parts, two eventually emerge to play the part of Romeo and Juliet exclusively, bringing a whole new dimension to the proceedings. Perceptions and understanding are turned upside-down as the fun of play-acting turns serious, and the words and meanings begin to hit home and universal truths emerge. The show is for young adults and up. Run time is two hours and 10 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.

The exciting event is made possible by a generous $10,000 award from the National Endowment for the Arts to the Princeton Theatre Group. This year, the NEA awarded 257 Challenge America awards totaling $2,570,000. Shakespeare in the Park is a gift to the community, assuring free professional theater for all, and the troupe encourages anyone interested in live theater to experience the unique public show. Additional support for Shakespeare in the Park is provided by The Princeton Closet and Ollie’s.

“Urinetown: The Musical”

The Grace Theatre, Princeton

July 13-14, 16-21

“Shakespeare’s R & J” is just one of the featured shows in this year’s Festival 56 lineup. This weekend, you also can catch a mounting of the hit high-concept musical “Urinetown,” held in Princeton’s Grace Theatre.

Set in the not-so-distant future, a terrible water shortage and 20-year drought have led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets, owned and operated by a single megalomaniac corporation: Urine Good Company. If the poor don’t obey strict laws prohibiting free urination, they’ll be sent to the dreaded and mysterious “Urinetown.”

After too long under the heel of the malevolent Caldwell B. Cladwell, the poor stage a revolt, led by a brave young hero, fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to pee “wherever you like, whenever you like, for as long as you like, and with whomever you like.” A brilliant satire modeled on the plays of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, “Urinetown” is a wickedly funny, fast-paced and surprisingly intelligent comedic romp. It’s intended for any age. Run time is two hours and 10 minutes with a 10-minute intermission.

Included in the chorus ensemble are participants from Camp 56, returning for its 13th consecutive year of providing a theater-based camp for young people. The two-week, six-hour-per-day summer day camp for youth in third through eighth grade will culminate with performers in several appearances in “Urinetown.” Show and camp sponsor Community Foundation of Central Illinois makes this possible by contributing to the costs of the production and camp. Camp 56 sponsors include the Princeton Rotary Club, Sun Foundation, Illinois Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Bryant Club of Walnut, Robert Glaser, The Princeton Closet, St. Matthews Lutheran Church and Monical’s Pizza.

Other upcoming shows in the Festival 56 lineup include the musical “Grease” (July 25-28, 30-31 and Aug. 1-4) and a cabaret series (July 19, 26, Aug. 2), where you can enjoy a wide variety of songs in a brisk, 90-minute revue-style show.

For more information and to reserve your tickets, visit Festival56.com.

For more activities in Princeton, visit PrincetonTourism.org.