Pagedale, Missouri and Calhoun County, IL are very different communities. One is urban. The other is rural. Though they are divided by the Mississippi River, in many ways they are worlds apart.
But on September 13th and 14th these two communities were brought together in a truly remarkable, one-of-a-kind event—a traveling performance of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, performed by youth from both communities, with Act I taking place in Pagedale, and Act II performed along the Mississippi River in Calhoun County.
Titled Love at the River’s Edge, the event was part of Beyond Housing’s 24:1 Arts and Culture Festival. The event was conceived by Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and is part of the Brussels, IL organization’s internationally recognized Shakespeare in the Streets initiative and ongoing work to bridge the urban-rural divide and elevate the voices of Midwest artists and residents.
“We are simply thrilled to be a part of this innovative, one-of-a-kind event that brings Shakespeare in the Streets to the 24:1 footprint,“ said Chris Krehmeyer, President & CEO of Beyond Housing. “Linking our community with the folks from Brussels, IL is a great representation of how our region can come together.”
Friday and Saturday night’s performances drew hundreds of audience members along with local media.
Check out the amazing photos!
