Schedule Released for Vanguard Theater's Montclair Theater Festival

The inaugural Montclair Theater Festival: Once Upon a Stage makes its debut this Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Glenfield Park in the heart of Montclair’s historic Fourth Ward. Brought to life by local creative powerhouse Vanguard Theater in partnership with the Essex County Board of Commissioners, this one-day celebration promises an unforgettable blend of live theater, interactive activities, family fun, and local flavor for people of all ages.

At the heart of the festival are two mainstage productions: the high-energy, family favorite Shrek the Musical and a magical, open-air performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Both productions feature a blend of professional actors and dedicated community performers, including but not limited to: Kyle Matthew Watkins (Shrek - Shrek), Dwayne Clark (Shrek - Donkey), Brittany Smithson (Shrek - Fiona),  Lydia De Souza (Midsummer - Titania), Patrick Swailes Caldwell (Midsummer -Director/ Puck), Leonardo Gómez (Midsummer – Oberon), Marquise Neal (Midsummer - Demetrius), and more!

In addition to these headlining shows, the festival will highlight performances from Vanguard’s past season selections, as well as other local arts organizations such as: The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Luna-Stage/">Luna Stage, The Summit Playhouse, Roundtable Theater Company, Offbook Productions, StageWorks Theatre Group, Pride Players of the Pride Alliance of Passaic County, Aurway Repertory Theatre, Studio Playhouse,  Chatham Community Players, Villagers Theatre, Gas Lamp Players, The Barn Theatre, The Maplewood Strollers,  Bergen County Players, and the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts.

While attendees are encouraged to soak in the full festival experience, we’ve got you covered with a detailed performance schedule below — perfect for those who want to catch their favorite theaters in action!

Performing between 1:00–1:15 PM will be OffBook Productions (1776) and Chatham Community Players (Nine). Between 1:15–1:45 PM will be StageWorks (Thirteen) , Villagers Theatre ( Anything Goes), Gas Lamp Players (Little Mermaid), and Studio Players (Grimm Tales); followed by Luna-Stage/">Luna Stage ( Excerpts from the 25/26 Season) from 1:45–1:55 PM. Performing a special feature from 1:55–2:10 PM will be The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ (Shakespeare’s Who’s On First). This feature will be followed by Vanguard Theater’s Mainstage performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream from 2:10–3:20 PM.

Continuing the program will be performances by Bergen County Players (Beautiful) , Pride Alliance of Passaic County (The Revision), The Barn Theatre (Bright Star), The Maplewood Strollers (Honeymoon in Vegas), Roundtable Theater Company (Parade), Aurway Repertory Theater (Red: The Musical), The Summit Playhouse (Fun Home), and NJSDA Improv Troupe taking place between 3:25–4:30 PM. To wrap up this full day of invigorating programming will be Vanguard Theater’s Mainstage performance of Shrek The Musical from 4:30–6:00 PM. For any updates on the full schedule visit @vtcnj on social media or www.vanguardtheatercompany.org/montclair-theater-festival

While there will be plenty of entertainment on the stage, you won't want to miss all the fun that lies beyond! Exciting free to low cost activities and local vendor booths will be in full swing throughout the day. Grab a snack and explore all of the magical corners of the festival – from bounce houses and obstacle courses, to face painting and flower crown making, you’ll have a variety of opportunities to make the most of your day in the park.

In the event of bad weather, the rain date for the festival will be Sunday, July 13, 2025. Time and location will remain the same. Bring a pillow, chair, or blanket, and join in on a day of community fun!