Policies

Please note that policies and procedures are subject to change.

Tickets and Seating

Illinois Shakespeare Festival seat cushions are available for public use. Donations for use are appreciated.

For your convenience, all ticket orders will be available for pick-up one hour before all show-times at the performance venue (Ewing Theatre or Center for the Performing Arts Theatre).

All exchanges are based on availability and must include the actual paper tickets, if they have been received.
All exchanges must occur before the performance has begun. Exchanges are not possible after a performance has begun.

Please allow at least 20 minutes to park, collect tickets, and be seated in the theatre before the performance.
Seating assignments are valid only until curtain time. Latecomers will be seated only during an appropriate break in the play's action in available seats, as determined by the House Manager. This may not be until intermission.

Due to the unpredictability of Central Illinois weather, we will not make an early cancelation decision prior to 5 p.m. on the day of a performance. At 5 p.m., we will post on our website and Facebook whether we will be canceling the show or moving forward with the performance as planned.
In the case of rain during the performance, every effort will be made to complete the show, even through light showers. Should any performance be rained out before the first intermission, patrons have 2 business days to exchange their ticket(s) for another performance. If a performance is stopped after the first intermission, the evening will be considered complete, and NO ticket exchanges will be made. View our full policies on Weather Cancellations.

A valid ticket must be produced to an usher in order to enter the theatre.
The Festival reserves the right to refuse admission or to request any ticket holder to leave the theatre and take appropriate action to enforce this right.
In the event of a canceled performance, the Festival will not be liable for any additional travel or accommodation expenses.
The Festival reserves the right to make alterations to the advertised details for the performance at short notice (e.g. cast changes). In these instances, the Festival is not obliged to refund the ticket or exchange for another performance.
On rare occasions, the performance or public areas may be filmed, sound recorded, or photographed. Buying this ticket affirms your consent to the filming, sound recording, and/or photography of yourself as a member of the audience and possible subsequent broadcast/publication.
The Festival cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage to your personal property while at the venue.
The unauthorized use of cameras, videos, or any other sort of audio or visual recording equipment is strictly forbidden.
Mobile phones and other noise-making devices must be turned off prior the start of the performance and remain off during the performance.
Strobe lighting, smoke effects, loud bangs, etc. are sometimes used in productions. Please contact the Box Office for further details.

Yes! Concessions and merchandise will return to the Festival for 2025.
Patrons are welcome to picnic on the lawn.
Please do not dispose of unused beverages on the lawn. Please use the trash receptacles.
Public water fountains will be available for use. Patrons may bring their own water into the theatre.

Parking is available at St. John’s Lutheran Church. Please visit Parking & Directions for more information.

Programs will be available as both hard copy and digital this season. Please visit Plays for all of the program information, including play synopses, cast lists, bios, our donor roll, and more.

As a non-profit organization, the Festival is grateful for your continued support. Please consider a gift to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Society Fund.

The Box Office is available at (309) 438-2535, Monday-Friday (from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. during the school year and noon-4 p.m. during the summer) or by email at FineArtsTickets@IllinoisState.edu.