NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Jessica Shively, Communications & Development Associate
207-367-2788
jessica@operahousearts.org

DATE: August 12, 2025
TITLE: Masque of Night Brings a taste of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet to Stonington 

Stonington, ME – Masque of Night, an intimate cabaret version of the love scenes of Romeo and Juliet created by New Place Players, will be presented by Opera House Arts in Stonington.  Featuring two actors and live music on piano and harp, Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers will find and lose each other in this hour-long performance at the Burnt Cove Church Community Center at 7pm on Friday, August 29 and Saturday, August 30.  

Masque is directed by Craig Bacon and Janina Picard and performers include Blake Bundy as Romeo and Clara Tristan as Juliet.  Flavio Gaete is the musical director and Anna Bikales is the principal musician. Both will take on various roles on stage. Allison Jones is the Intimacy Director for this moving production.  

“There are a million ways that Romeo & Juliet has been performed, but there is something so uniquely sweet and endearing about The Masque of Night, that sets it apart from the rest. With an earnest cast, pitch-perfect musical accompaniment, and distinctive setting, this one-hour production of Romeo & Juliet is a delicious bite-sized confection of romance and tragedy,” stated Austin Fimmano from playtosee.com in a review. 

New Place Players is a theater company that creates intimately powerful productions of Shakespeare interwoven with music, that draw audiences into a shared experience, up close and transformative. They prioritize process, collaboration, and fostering a platform where artists and audiences can nurture a spirit of friendship and dialogue. 

The Burnt Cove Church Community Center is located at 17 Airport Rd in Stonington. Tickets are $25 each and are offered half off to ages 17 and under and free to Hancock County students. For more information and to purchase tickets visit operahousearts.org or call 207-367-2788.

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The Stonington Opera House is a historic center of culture and entertainment, a performance space, and a civic gathering place. Our work is rooted in the belief that access to and participation in the arts transforms lives.

The Stonington Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and in 1999, it was rescued by the founders of Opera House Arts, a 501 (c) 3, that was established specifically to restore this historic building to its original purpose.

A cornerstone of a year-round, vibrant Main Street located at the top of the busiest commercial fishing pier in Maine, the Stonington Opera House is an economic engine for the creative economy of Deer Isl 

Photos attached:

1.    Masque of Night Illustration courtesy of New Place Players

2.    Masque of Night Juliet courtesy of New Place Players

3.    Masque of Night performance courtesy of New Place Players