Chicago Associates Celebrate Stratford's 60th season

Mar 30, 2012
Stratfor Shakespeare Festival Chicago

The Chicago Associates of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival will celebrate the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 60th season on April 16, 2012. Lucy Peacock, Stratford Shakespeare Festival star, headlines the event, and will perform selections from her Stratford cabaret show, "Late Night with Lucy." The party will be held at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 East Ontario Street. The celebration starts at 5:00 p.m. with an exclusive VIP champagne reception to meet and greet Ms. Peacock and then opens to all ticket holders at 5:45 p.m. with a wine bar, hors d'oeuvres and silent auction. This year's silent auction includes one-of-a-kind Stratford Shakespeare Festival memorabilia from famous past productions. This year, the raffle prize will be a Hawaiian vacation that includes a one-week stay in a condo in Maui, with $1000 towards your airfare.

Dean Gabourie, Associate Artistic Director, will preview the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 2012 playbill.

The evening will continue with a dinner buffet and a silent auction and raffle featuring dining, shopping and gift items from Chicago and Stratford-area boutiques, restaurants and shops. Capping the evening will be a decades-old event tradition of birthday cake and a champagne toast to the Bard.

Proceeds from the party support CASSF and the Chicago Fellows Program. The Chicago Fellows Programs helps fund the participation of a Chicago-area actor in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre.

"The Chicago Associates' celebration always proves to be a wonderful evening, and with so much to celebrate, this year will certainly be no different," says event chair Gloria Friedman. "Having an amazing performer like Lucy Peacock perform for us, as well as mingle with guests at the VIP reception is truly a coup."

Tickets for the VIP Experience are available for $150 (limited quantity) or $100 for standard event tickets by calling the Stratford Shakespeare Festival box office at 1-800-567-1600 or ordering online at www.stratfordshakespearefestival.com. For more information about the party or to purchase raffle tickets ($25 each or five for $100), contact Gloria Friedman at friedmangloria@gmail.com or 312-347-8381.