FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE!
Stratford, CT – January 24, 2012
Are you interested in being part of Stratford’s vibrant theatre and arts community this summer? Festival! Stratford 2012 will hold an informational volunteer meeting on February 9, 2012 in the Town Council Chambers at Stratford’s Town Hall, 2725 Main Street (more here). Thanks in part to the hard work and dedication of the 2011 volunteers, last year’s great success numbers and audience feedback will be shared at the February 9th meeting in addition to committee descriptions and needs. The committee is seeking volunteers for the mid-August event to assist with communications, volunteer coordination, staffing, vending, ushering, parking management, donations/raffle and main stage support.
Based on the success of the 2011 festival, organizers are expecting an increased need for community and volunteer involvement. The 2-week festival will include theatre and music performances, art exhibits, children’s shows and so much more on the grounds of the American Festival (Shakespeare) Theatre. To volunteer, please contact festivalstratfordct@gmail.com.
See what a fantastic festival we had in 2011! See the Gallery!
August 11 – 21, 2011
Sponsored in part by 
.
Thank you to everyone that came out to enjoy our 6th Annual Festival! Stratford. A great success for the community.
Appoximately 2000 patrons attended the entertainment events at Festival! Stratford 2011. Hundreds more toured the Shakespeare Theatre.
Patrons were surveyed and the results are in:
- More than half of our audience attended for the first time this year.
- Only 13% said they would not consider purchasing from one of our vendors.
- 35% said they would make dining out in Stratford a part of their Festival experience.
- Nearly half of our audience cited the outdoors and Shakespeare as their motivation for attending.
- 95% would definitely return. No one responded that they would not.
- 21% want to volunteer, 39% want to receive our emails, and 31% want information in the mail.
Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers who helped to make this year’s event the best ever. Thanks to all the vendors, advertisers, suppliers for their terrific contributions. Applause to all the actors, performers, writers, directors, stage crews and artists for bringing their craft, professionalism and hard work to Stratford’s arts and cultural icon.
Festival! Stratford is proud to announce its 6th annual summer festival, filled with theater, arts, music, acting camp and educational activities for the Fairfield and New Haven County communities and beyond. The festival is scheduled to take place mid-August on the beautiful grounds of American Festival Theatre (1850 Elm Street Stratford, CT), overlooking the Housatonic River in Stratford featuring William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” produced by Shakesperience Productions.
Additional wonderful performers, workshops and activities throughout the festival include; The Players at Putney Gardens, Dr. Joe Utterback & Sister Cities Choir, Bridgeport Theatre Company, Hudson Shakespeare Company, Temple Players, a week long Theatre Camp with a Theatre Camp Final Performance, and more!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakesperience Productions is back for a third year of Festival! Stratford on the grounds of the Shakespeare Festival Theater, this time with the comedy favorite, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The cast of the company’s most veteran professionals and special guests will materialize to portray Shakespeare’s tale of mistaken identity, of good intentions gone awry, of mystical forces and their effects on mortal life of love won and lost and won again. Artistic Director balances this production in the mysterious territory between dreams and reality. The production cross-fades through the confining order and structure of the Athenian court, the lawlessness of the forest, and the disconcerting randomness of the dream state. In true Shakesperience fashion, the audience for A Midsummer Night’s Dream is included in the magic as an essential player in our scenes.
SquareWrights
Quickies in the Park is an annual performance on the grounds of the Shakespeare Theatre of new works by its members. SquareWrights was co-founded by J. Sibley Law and Orna Rawls (with help from Tom Holehan and Square One Theatre Company).
Temple Players
Excerpts from two plays:
“Learning Experience at Elderhostel” by John A. Donnelly, directed by Mark Lambeck, starring Ronni Berman and Tom Costaggini – from “Tribal Humor 5″.
The Players at Putney Gardens
“Scenes from the Garden” – 5 episodes from some of their previous productions:
Two from their 2011 “The Winter’s Tale”: a dramatic scene and a comic scene Two from their 2009 “Much Ado About Nothing”: also a dramatic and comic scene One from their 2004 “As You Like It”: with Rosalind & Orlando
”Soldiers of the Lord” by Dave Madden, directed by Tom Rushen, starring Rob Watts, Richard Mancini and one more actor TBA – from “A Biblical Sense of Humor”.
Eastbound Theatre
“Maybe in Another Universe”, winner of the 2011 Summer Audience Award.
Bridgeport Theatre Company
The Bridgeport Theatre Company will be performaing highlights from their exciting last season and some songs featuring what’s to come next season.
Stratford Arts Guild, Art Exhibit
As in years past, the Stratford Arts Guild will be at the festival exhibiting art pieces from local artists. This year, they will be setup inside the theatre! Exhibits will be open to the public as follows:
Thursdays: 6:30 – 11PM
Fridays: 6:30 – 11 PM
Saturdays: 12:30 – 1:45 PM
Sundays: 12:30 – 3 PM
This is GREAT! What time is the show? I can’t seem to find it. Thankyou
Check out the Festival calendar here!
It would be helpful to provide the Time so People know when to arrive for the Show
Hello! Check out the calendar for show details. The calendar is subject to change, so check back for the latest updates!
For the performance on the theater grounds, do we bring our own chairs or are they provided? Also, can we bring picnics and wine?
Hello Barbara,
Yes, you can bring chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, etc. We will also have 300 chairs available for those who cannot bring their own.
You may also bring food and non-alcoholic drinks; however, we encourage everyone to support the Festival by supporting our sponsors and vendors:
Our on-site food vendor will be the Dutchess Diner; and VFW Post 9460 will be on-site serving wine and beer.
Come for the Open House and Stay for the Festival!
Is there an fee to get in?
Hello Kathy!
Parking is at 1850 Elm, the lots of the Festival Theatre.
No charge.
The suggested attendance donation is $20
Is tonight performance inside the theater or should we bring chairs to sit on?
Hello,
All plays are outside on the grounds of the theater. You can bring your own chairs, or blankets. We also have chairs to use if you don’t want to bring your own.
Who or what is “Theatre Camp”? Will they be presenting the entire Henry V on 8/21? It is not clear from the calendars I have seen.
Theatre Camp features 17 students from age 7 to 17. They’re spending one week, about 20 hours, on learning acting skills and rehearsing an adaptation of Henry V, under the direction of our resident artists. Judging from the average ratio, one hour rehearsal for one minute of performance, we should be presenting a 20 minute performance.
Incidentally, I am not sure if it made it to the web site, but Uno Duo, a guitar duo that performed last year with us, is also scheduled Sunday.
Since the event was cancelled due to rain on Sunday, the 14th…is there a rain date scheduled?
There are no rain dates, but many of the performances are scheduled for both weeks.
Take a look at this week’s calendar to se if what you missed will be presented again.
http://festivalstratford.org/calendar/
There are no rain dates, but many of the performances are scheduled for both weeks.
Take a look at this week’s calendar to see if what you missed will be presented again.
http://festivalstratford.org/calendar/
I went last Thursday (opening night) and you couldn’t ask for better weather and a great performance from the Putney Players! The art gallery is great and it gives festival goers a chance to see the good work the volunteers have done to keep the theater in great shape. Don’t let previous news reports throughout the years tell you that the theater is in bad shape. Go see it for yourself! I’ll be back again this weekend.