The Fortieth Anniversary of The Illinois Shakespeare Festival Kamara Turner and Charlea Schueler
Table of Contents December 8, 2016 Mr. Dan Craft dcraft@pantagraph.com 309-820-3259 Pitch Leter... 2 News Release Midsummer Night s Dream...3 PSA Midsummer Night s Dream...4 News Release Cymbeline...5 PSA Cymbeline...6 News Release I Heart Juliet...7 PSA I Heart Juliet...8 Backgrounder ISF...9 Backgrounder Q Brothers...10 Newsletter...11-12 Poster...13 Mr. Craft, I m interested in sending you an early notification about upcoming Illinois Shakespeare Festival in 2017. The Festival will take place at Ewing Manor and Westhoff Theater on Illinois State University s Campus. I would like to spread the word about this event, and I would like to let you know in advance what shows they will be doing next summer. A Midsummer Night s Dream This classic tale will take the audience back to their childhood with tales of fairies, love, and trickery. Cymbeline A tale of love, deception, and irony will leave the audience constantly on the edge of their seat! I Heart Juliet --A Q Brothers rap adaption of Romeo and Juliet, which gives a modern take on an already epic love story. I will follow up with you closer to the event, which takes runs June 30 through August 12. In the meantime, feel free to contact me about these or any other ideas that you might have to promote the festival. Thanks! Charlea Schueler PR Intern Illinois Shakespeare Festival (309) 438-2535
For release after April 1 Contact: Kamara Turner Phone: (555-555-5555) Email: katurne3@ilstu.edu Illinois Shakespeare Festival Presents A Midsummer Night s Dream NORMAL, Ill. The Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) will be performing Shakespeare s A Midsummer Night s Dream in the outdoor theater at the Ewing Cultural Center on June 30 through Aug. 12, 2017. Dates and times will vary per production. ISF will be having great performances for the 2017 season. They will be celebrating their 40th anniversary and will be putting on an outstanding interpretation of A Midsummer Night s Dream to celebrate. This play is a family classic and will be sure to bring out the community. I ve seen this play in many different forms and it never gets old. It s definitely one of my favorite productions to put on, says Kevin Rich, ISF Artistic Director. It s a production that everyone loves from children to grandparents. It s a play for everyone to watch, love and learn from. CONTACT: KAMARA TURNER PHONE: (555) 555-5555 EMAIL: katurne3@ilstu.edu FOR USE: FROM JUNE 1 TO AUGUST 12 LENGTH: :30 secs ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM IF YOU ENJOY FANTASY PRODUCTIONS ABOUT LOVE, TRICKERY AND FRIENDSHIP, SHAKESPEARE S CLASSIC PLAY A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM WILL BE SHOWING JUNE 30 THROUGH AUGUST 12, 2017. DATES AND TIMES WILL VARY PER PRODUCTION. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM IS A CLASSIC PRODUCTION FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE CENTER FOR THE PERORMING ARTS, LOCATED ON ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY S CAMPUS. TICKETS RANGE FROM $12 TO $47. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL (309) 438-2535. A Midsummer Night s Dream is a Shakespeare classic and family-friendly play that tells the story of four young lovers in a magical forest where they must battle trickery while falling in love and making close bonds with others. The most popular musical character, Puck, will be sure to entice to audience. Ticket prices for A Midsummer Night s Dream range from $12 to $47, and can be purchased on the Illinois State University campus at the Center for Performing Arts, or online through Ticketmaster. They can also be purchased the night of the performance at the Ewing Box Office. For more information or questions about the tickets, please call (309) 438-2535. The mission of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is to produce energetic new interpretations of theatrical works, engaging audience and artist in an impassioned exploration of the human condition, with the artistry and humanity of the Shakespearean canon as our constant touchstone. ###
For release after April 1 Contact: Charlea Schueler Phone (309) 242-9370 Email: cschuel@ilstu.edu Illinois Shakespeare Festival and Drama for the Ages NORMAL, Ill. The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is performing an adaption of William Shakespeare s Cymbeline by Chris Coleman on select days at Ewing Cultural Center s outdoor theater. The Festival runs June 30 through Aug. 12, 2017. Dates and times will vary per production. This fantastical play is perfect for the fortieth anniversary of the Shakespeare Festival. The fairy tale romance Cymbeline is about a brilliant princess Imogen, the daughter of the British king Cymbeline, who falls in love and marries a man far below her social class, Posthumus. The evil wife of the king plots for Imogen to marry her own son, Cloten, while Posthumus is banished into exile. He meets a smooth-tongued jester, who wagers that he can seduce Posthumus s wife. Drama ensues while the heartbroken young man believes his wife is unfaithful, and Imogen tries to find her husband, while also leading him to believe she is dead. CONTACT: CHARLEA SCHUELER PHONE: (309) 242-9370 EMAIL: cschuel@ilstu.edu FOR USE: FROM JUNE 1 TO AUGUST 12 LENGTH: :30 secs ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS CYMBELINE THE ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS CYMBELINE ON SELECT DAYS DURING THE FESTIVAL, WHICH RUNS JUNE 30 THROUGH AUGUST 12. CYMBELINE FOLLOWS THE BRILLIANT PRINCESS IMOGEN, WHO MARRIES A MAN BELOW HER SOCIAL STATUS. HER FATHER, THE BRITISH KING CYMBELINE, BANISHES HER NEW HUSBAND POSTHUMUS TO ITALY, WHO QUESTIONS HIS WIFE S FAITHFULNESS. TICKETS RANGE FROM $12 TO $47. TO ORDER CONTACT THE CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS BOX OFFICE AT (309) 438-2535 OR GO ONLINE AT TICKETMASTER.COM. The play is made more whimsical and theatrical by Coleman s six-person adaption, in which five actors and a musician play all the parts. Director Andy Park said, The cast is great. They ve been working really hard to get all the parts down. I mean, there s only six of them! I think it makes a more intimate setting with a smaller cast, and I think they re doing a wonderful job. Ticket prices for Cymbeline range from $12 to $47, and can be purchased on the Illinois State University campus at the Center for Performing Arts, or online through Ticketmaster. They can also be purchased the night of the performance at the Ewing Box Office. For more information or questions about the tickets, please call (309) 438-2535. The mission of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is to produce energetic new interpretations of theatrical works, engaging audience and artist in an impassioned exploration of the human condition, with the artistry and humanity of the Shakespearean canon as our constant touchstone. ###
For release after April 1 Contact: Kamara Turner Phone: (555-555-5555) Email: katurne3@ilstu.edu Center for the Performing Arts Adopts Q Brothers I Heart Juliet NORMAL, Ill. The Q Brothers will be performing a spin-off to Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet at Illinois State University s (ISU) Center for the Performing Arts on July 9 through Aug. 8, 2017. Dates and times will vary per production. The Center for the Performing Arts is a $19.8 million dollar building which was completed and dedicated in the fall of 2002. There are 800 seats in the concert hall and 450 seats in the theatre, which are the building s main features. Families will love watching this production is such a fresh and spacious theatre. The Center for the Performing Arts is by far one of my favorite buildings. It s beautiful and so much talent and love for art is in that building, says Jean M. Miller Dean of the College of Fine Arts. I know this production will do great here, people will enjoy especially families. CONTACT: CHARLEA SCHUELER PHONE: (309) 242-9370 EMAIL: cschuel@ilstu.edu FOR USE: FROM JUNE 1 TO AUGUST 12 LENGTH: :30 secs ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS I HEART JULIET THE ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS I HEART JULIET ON SELECT DAYS DURING THE FESTIVAL, WHICH RUNS JUNE 30 THROUGH AUGUST 12. I HEART JULIET BY THE Q-BROTHERS IS A RAP ADAPTATION OF THE ROMEO AND JULIET STORY BY SHAKESPEARE. IN THIS MODERN TRANSLATION, ROMEO AND JULIET FIND LOVE DESPITE THEIR DIFFERENCES. TICKETS RANGE FROM $12 TO $47. TO ORDER CONTACT THE CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS BOX OFFICE AT (309) 438-2535, OR GO ONLINE AT TICKETMASTER.COM. I Heart Juliet is a production by GQ, JQ, Jackson Doran and Postell Pringle. The Q Brothers made this production into an add-rap-tation of Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet. I Heart Juliet was accepted in October of 2012 at Connecticut College. The original playwright was written and directed by The Q Brothers and performed by a cast of ten students. I Heart Juliet is a great addiction to the Shakespeare classic. It s a family-friendly play that adds humor to the original production. This production is not only funny, but is great for young children because of lessons that are learned throughout the production. It s a must see! Ticket prices for I Heart Juliet range from $12 to $47, and can be purchased on the Illinois State University campus at the Center for Performing Arts, or online through Ticketmaster. They can also be purchased the night of the performance at the Ewing Box Office. For more information or questions about the tickets, please call (309) 438-2535. The mission of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is to produce energetic new interpretations of theatrical works, engaging audience and artist in an impassioned exploration of the human condition, with the artistry and humanity of the Shakespearean canon as our constant touchstone. ###
Illinois Shakespeare Festival Background Q Brothers Background Illinois Shakespeare History The Illinois Shakespeare Festival was formed in 1978. It started off with twenty-one performances on the tennis court of Ewing Manor. The company now has grown to become an internationally recognized company; now putting on more than thirty performances each season in state-of-the-art Elizabethan-style theatres. On July 6, 1978 the Festival put on Shakespeare in the Cornfields which was performed on a wooden stage at Hazle Buck Ewing s tennis court. The tennis court was filled with over 250 uncomfortable chairs. Through the struggle of porta-potties and lack of dressing rooms, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival evolved into a professional and nationally-recognized theatre. Illinois Shakespeare Festival Mission The mission of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is to produce energetic new interpretations of theatrical works, engaging audience and artist in an impassioned exploration of the human condition, with the artistry and humanity of the Shakespearean canon as our constant touchstone. Illinois Shakespeare Festival is a firm believer that the arts are an essential part of communities and they are committed to this ideal. They want to provide the best experience possible for their audience, whether they want to learn more information about the Festival, buy tickets, see a production or attended an outreach activity. The focus solely on excellence in all that they do. Staff Members * Kevin Rich Artistic Director * Janet Wilson Producer * Shawn Malott Production Manager * Courtney Grose Business Manager * Kristen Nesvacil Box Office Manager * Jean M. K. Miller Dean Plays of the Season * Hamlet A tragedy by William Shakespeare about Prince Hamlet s mourning of his father s death and his mother s hasty marriage. Directed by Leda Hoffmann. Runs July 15 through August 13. * Twelfth Night A tragic love story by William Shakespeare about Viola and Sebastian who are separated because of an awful shipwreck. Directed by Ick Barbour. Runs July 8 through August 12. * Peter and the Starcatcher a humor and fantastical story by Rick Elice about Peter Pan and his archnemesis Captain Hook. Directed by Andy Park. Runs July 10 through August 11. Q Brothers History The Q Brothers company was formed in 1998, when founder and co-creative director GQ was graduating from the Experimental Theater Wing at Tisch School of The Arts at New York University. Being a rapper and an actor, G wanted to mix hip hop and theater as an independent project before finishing his BFA. The result of his and his buddies collaboration was a piece known as The Bomb-itty of Errors (based on Shakespeare s The Comedy of Errors ). When younger brother JQ moved to NYC, he produced original beats for and deejayed the show, at which time older brother TQ, who was also living in NYC, jumped on as a producer. Q Brothers Mission The Q Brothers have been writing plays/musicals for almost 20 years. They like to take classic works and translate them into modern contexts, while staying true to the original stories. In this way, they believe they pay homage to the original authors, and make their timeless stories more accessible to modern day audiences. Their plays are in rhyme, and performed over original music spun by a live deejay. They call them Add-Rap-Tations. Members * GQ - Founder, Creative Director * JQ - Creative Director, Musical Director * Postell Pringle Creative Associate, Director of Choreography * Jackson Doran Creative Associate, Director of Education * Greta Honold Producing Company Manager * Clayton Stamper Company Member Q Brothers Plays The Q Brothers have written and directed several plays based on classic literature. * Othello: The Remix, a rap adaption based on Othello by William Shakespeare * Q Gents, a rap version of Shakespeare s Two Gentlemen of Verona. * A Q Brothers Christmas Carol based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens * Funk It Up About Nothin based on Shakespeare s Much Ado About Nothing * The Bomb-itty of Errors a modern rendition of Shakespeare s The Comedy of Errors. * I Heart Juliet a modern rap twist based on Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet
Green Shows Join the Illinois Shakespeare Festival for our Green Shows before every performance! Upcoming Events Post-show Talk Backs and Ice Cream Socials Sundays: Improvised Shakespeare Mondays: Concerts on the Quad Tuesdays: Twin Cities High School Green Show Wednesdays: Feste and the Resty -ISF Company perform music in the courtyard Thursdays: Piano in the Courtyard Fridays: Glenn Wilson and Friends Live Jazz Series Saturdays: Tastings with various vendors. More details below. Tasting Schedule: Destihl: July 9, July 16, August 6 White Oal Vineyards and The Chocolatier, Inc.: July 23 White Oak Brewing: July 30, August 13 After every performance on Wednesday evenings, guests get the opportunity to stay and talk with the cast and the Artistic Director about the night s production. After the Q & A, join the cast and crew of the production in the courtyard for an old-fashioned ice cream social! This is a great way to meet the company one-on-one and get the inside scoop on their lives and performaning at the Festival. The social is sponsored by long-time friend of the Shakespeare Festival, Craig Sutter, and this event is FREE for everyone!
ILLINOIS SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS a midsummer night's dream Tickets can be purchased at Illinois State University's Center for the Performing Arts or online at Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $12 to $47.