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• Summer theater festivals in full swing

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As the weather finally warms and we look for relative bargains in entertainment that bypass those predictable summer films, here are some quality venues from the world of theater that justify the consumption of that expensive gasoline. The various summer theater festivals of note range from nearby to a long day’s drive to Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Close by is the Illinois Shakespeare Festival at Ewing Manor in Bloomington, just a little more than one hour away. This year’s season runs from June 25 to Aug. 9 and includes such Shakespearean standards as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III. Added to this classical mix is Scapin, a vaudevillian adaptation of Moliere’s Les Fourberies de Scapin by Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnell. For further information, call 309-438-2535 or visit www.thefestival.org.

A full day away in Spring Green, Wisc. is the American Players Theatre, located about half an hour west of Madison. From June 6 to Oct. 18, you can enjoy classic theater from several centuries. With Shakespeare heading the bill, there is The Comedy of Errors, Henry V and the The Winter’s Tale. But classics from other eras will be shown as well, such as Shaw’s The Philanderer, Noel Coward’s Hay Fever and, from more recent times, Harold Pinter’s Old Times. Call them at 608-588-2361 or check out their Web site at: www.playinthewoods.org.

A long day’s drive away (10-12 hours) is the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario. Already in progress, some of its productions run until the end of October. Located just north of London and three hours from Detroit, it is one of the oldest summer theater festivals in North America. With the Bard as its anchor, this season offers Julius Caesar, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and West Side Story, or the musical form of Romeo and Juliet. But there is more as well; adapted from the classical Roman comedies of Plautus is A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Stratford offers many theatrical diversions in almost all categories — from late 19th century classics such as The Three Sisters, The Importance of Being Earnest and Cyrano de Bergerac to a 20th century adaptation of Racine’s Phedre. There is a rarely performed script by Ben Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, that may be the undiscovered gem of the season. Remember that Jonson was a contemporary of Shakespeare, and his fine work has often suffered from that huge shadow. There will be new works, and the innovative shows at the Studio Theatre are worth checking out. For the full schedule of plays, visit www.stratfordfestival.ca. Their toll-free box office number works from the U.S.: 800-567-1600.

Three hours east at the south of the Niagara River is Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, home of the Shaw Festival. It’s the only theater festival in the world dedicated to the works of George Bernard Shaw. His plays anchor this year’s season with In Good King Charles’s Golden Days and The Devil’s Disciple. Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten showcases the work of a Shaw contemporary as does Garson Kanin’s Born Yesterday. There is contemporary Canadian work with Michel Tremblay’s Albertine in Five Times, and for musical fans, Sunday in the Park with George. The Shaw Festival is in progress and runs until the end of October.

Real history is being made with another contemporary of Shaw, Noel Coward. This season, the Shaw Festival presents all 10 one-act plays that make up Tonight at 8:30. Since its premiere in 1936 in three evening programs, it has rarely been revived in anything but selections. The festival will perform them in repertory throughout the season, with the Play, Orchestra, Play segment directed by University of Illinois graduate Christopher Newton. For further information, see www.shawfest.com, or call 800-511-7429. Remember, border crossing is now a different game. Automobiles are required to have passports or a Nexus card for entering Canada. Only certain enhanced state driver’s licenses or proof of citizenship with a photo ID can substitute if you are older than 16. Children under 16 need only proof of citizenship.