Festival 56
- SM/Crew, 1-3 years ago
Literally had the worst experience. They are not organized at all, did not have proper resources, did not care when issues were brought up. At least when I was there, the pay was bad and their overall payment structure made no sense. There are some good people there but that does not outweigh the poor experience. I would caution anyone interested in working there, especially in the tech side of things. Princeton is also a very small town which is sometimes charming and sometimes small-minded so just know what you’re getting into on that front (had a person at a local shop berate me for wearing a mask). Festival 56 is not responsible for that person’s actions, however they did sell the town off as kind of fairytale-esque space which is just not reality. It is definitely a small town.
Anonymous - 01/18/2025 - Performer
From my experience in 2019: The pros: -Housing can be quite nice as it's patron housing, much better than a cast house situation. There were no complaints my year. -The small town of Princeton is CUTE and several local businesses support the theatre, so there's fun discounts. -A train ride away from Chicago, fun for days off! -A really great gig to grow professional experience especially for college students and (very) recent grads. -Opportunity to work with several different directors and get some professional credits on your resume (you know, summer stock). The cons: -The pay...pretty bad. I don't know what it is now, but when I was there it was sadly low. -LOOOONG days, and you have to participate in strike. Typical non-equity summer stock things, but no set building or extra duties beyond strike. -Nothing to do in Princeton, but we were SO busy that we barely had time to go out anyways. All in all, I LOVED my experience there, as someone fresh out of school and not having to pay rent or other adult bills yet. I made some of my best friends there, and Festival will always hold a special place in my heart.
Anonymous - 03/12/2023