SHAKESPEARE IN THE STREETS in St. Louis!

Local beer, donuts, bowling and the Bard will all come together as Shakespeare in the Streets heads to Maplewood this week (Sept. 16-18). This year's production, "Remember Me," will feature a mash-up of "Hamlet," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Macbeth," with a little "Romeo & Juliet" thrown in. All performances will begin at 8 p.m. on Sutton Boulevard, between Hazel and Marietta streets.

Patrons are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to watch the show. Sutton, between Hazel and Marietta, will be closed to traffic from 6 to 10 p.m. each night. Parking will be available in several lots throughout Maplewood. Details can be found by visiting the city's website at www.cityofmaplewood.com/parking. Shakespeare Festival St. Louis will also host an array of food vendors in the area of Sutton Loop Park, in keeping with Maplewood tradition. Area vendors will be present at all three performances with a special family-focused pre-show on Sun., Sept. 18.

Director Lucy Cashion, playwright Nancy Bell and set designer Mark Wilson have been meeting with residents and community leaders of the neighborhood for the past year inviting them to share their community stories. For the first time since the inception of Shakespeare in the Streets in 2012, all cast members will have a connection to the community.

The show will also feature a folk band led by music director Joe Taylor, including Maplewood residents Jason Scroggins and Matt McGaughey. In addition, the Festival has collaborated with artists from Living Arts Studio guided by Executive Director Gina Alvarez to make puppets as a featured part of the production. For more information on the cast and show, visit www.sfstl.com.

This year's street event is sponsored by the City of Maplewood with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Boeing Company, PNC Arts Alive, and the Strive Fund.