The Rome Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to announce dates for the 2026 Festival and introduce new programming.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will headline this year’s festival, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. “Midsummer” was the first title performed at the inaugural festival in 2016. A sneak peek of this beloved show will be performed at the Rome City Auditorium on September 17th, starting at 6:30 pm. This preview event is free to the public, just like the Festival itself. The Festival will kick off on Wednesday, September 23rd at Bridgepoint Plaza and run through Sunday, September 28th. Each evening, the performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will begin with a children’s program at 6:30 PM, followed by the adult performance at approximately 7:45 PM.
On Saturday, September 26th, the inaugural Rome Shakespeare Renaissance Fayre will begin adjacent to Bridgepoint in the parking lot behind MSP Law Firm. The Fayre opens at 10AM and will welcome vendors and performers from around the region for this first of its kind experience.
Sunday, September 27th, will be Family Day and include The Rome Shakespeare 5K River Run. The 5K will conclude near Bridgepoint, where both runners and walkers can enjoy complimentary goodies and explore the second day of RenFayre. Various performances will start on the main stage at 1:00 PM, featuring a children’s performance of “Midsummer” at 3:30 PM and the main show at 4:45 PM.
These new offerings aren’t the only exciting news for the festival. RSF also welcomes back Tracy Hellriegel as the President of the Rome Shakespeare Festival Board of Directors. Hellriegel co-founded RSF with Gail Deschamps in 2015, and the inaugural festival performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” took place in 2016. With her experience as a professional event planner and marketing consultant, Hellrigel is well-equipped to ensure the festival’s continued success. After taking a sabbatical following Deschamps’s passing, RSF was led by Indra Thomas, Julie McClusky, and Drew Davidson. Tracy expressed, “I am thrilled to be back at the helm of the Rome Shakespeare Festival and grateful for the support I received from Indra and her team. Along with the Board of Directors, I hope this Festival becomes a destination event for arts patrons across the country, bringing significant economic and cultural impact to our beautiful city.”
Auditions for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be held from April 17th to 19th. Additional auditions will be held on June 18th and 19th.
Registration for auditions and applications for Renaissance vendors and roaming performers are currently being accepted. Visit www.romeshakespearefestival.com for more information.
