Havest thou a place to lay thy head during the upcoming Illinois Shakespeare festival? Let us invite you to Vrooman Mansion, a trip into the future considering our bed and breakfast represents three centuries, all beyond William’s time. Oh, the stories Shakespeare could write if he were to visit.

This is a favorite time of the summer for us here at Vrooman Mansion as the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) brings visitors from across the state and beyond to enjoy comedy and drama in the midsummer nights. The energy is exciting and contagious and keeps things lively around here.

The professional repertoire company will bring As You Like It and Caeser, by Shakespeare, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen to life this summer, beginning Thursday, June 27. Performances on Illinois State University campus, at the Ewing Theatre and Center for the Performing Arts Theatre, are scattered from June through August, which will accommodate more schedules. Check the schedule and plan your visit to Bloomington-Normal.

More Than an Evening of Theater

But ISF is more than a series of free performances; it’s an organization spreading the benefits of the arts. In that vein, summer events include Theatre for Young Audiences. This year’s original play, Who Stole Cleopatra?, is a family-friendly, shorter, and engaging production made particularly for younger audiences.

Also for the future thespians, summer camps are available in July for youths from grades 1-12. Camps end with a performance for family and friends. Set up your own camp at Vrooman Mansion during any of the campers’ stay on the university campus. No need for you to confine yourself to dorm bunks!

A Getaway for You

Instead, give yourself a vacation and enjoy the luxury of our well-appointed rooms with fluffy towels and pillows and super soft robes and bed linens in large, comfortable beds. Upgrade your weekend of pampering; add a day and add a massage, a manicure, or a food tray. Explore the library, relax in the parlor or music room, and enjoy a gourmet breakfast in the dining room. Any shrews, curmudgeons, and grumps in your life would be appeased by a Vrooman experience. Plan your visit with us to coincide with Shakespeare Festival events