Arts & Entertainment

Shakespeare Festival Begins With Mini-Renaissance Fair

The festival starts Sunday and runs through May and offers free and low-cost performances, films, concerts, lectures, art exhibits, book discussions and other special events.

If you are a lover of the arts, then you can look forward to the next few weeks because the Sound Shore Shakespeare Festival begins Sunday with the kick-off event titled, “One City, One Book: Romeo & Juliet,” taking place at the .

The opening event will be a mini-renaissance fair with performances including "Hip Hop Shakespeare" and excerpts from the ballet version of Romeo and Juliet by members of Ballet Atlantic.

The festival has been organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts with support from the Arts Alive program of Arts Westchester. Funding for the events have also come from the Decentralization Program of the NYS Council on the Arts, the City of New Rochelle, the New Rochelle School District, on Lawton Street and the Green Team Cab Company.

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Theresa Kump Leghorn, in addition to being director of the Museum of Arts & Culture and vice president of the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, is also the organizer of the Sound Shore Shakespeare Festival and says that last year’s turnout was very strong given it was the first year the festival was put together.

Now in its second year and with the NRPL on board, Leghorn is excited about the array of events scheduled. 

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“Everything from a traveling theater company to local artists and professors will be on hand during the festival for various events that people will have many opportunities to take part in,” she said.

Below is a list of scheduled events during the next four to six weeks so get out the calendars and start marking down the dates. 

For more information on individual event details, click on the links below. 

 Schedule of Events:


Kick off event for “One City, One Book: Romeo & Juliet,” New Rochelle Public Library.


Festival Lecture at Iona College, Romita Auditorium, in the Ryan Library, 715 North Ave.


“Shakespeare’s Women” Art Exhibit at the Museum of Arts & Culture.


Shakespeare Film Festival first film of the series is the 1936 version of Romeo and Juliet starring Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer, hosted by Prof. Thomas Pendleton.


Shakespeare on Demand with the Knight Horse Theatre Company.


Shakespeare in Silents at the New Rochelle Public Library


Show Tunes Shakespeare at St. John’s Wilmot Church.


Romeo & Juliet Three Ways at the Whitney Young Auditorium in NRHS


Shakespeare Film Festival second film of the series Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, hosted by Prof. Thomas Pendleton with Prof. John Mahon.


A Bow to the Bard at the Voracious Reader, located at 1997 Palmer Ave. in Larchmont. Pass an afternoon of Shakespeare Festivities with reading, skits, contests and more.


Celebrate May Day in the Shakespeare Garden at Davenport Park in New Rochelle.


Shakespeare Film Festival third film of the series Baz Luhrman’s 1997 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes, hosted by Prof. Amy Stackhouse with Prof. John Mahon

For even more information about additional events, click here.


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