(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The inaugural Montclair Theater Festival: Once Upon a Stage took place on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Glenfield Park in the heart of Montclair's historic Fourth Ward. Brought to life by Vanguard Theater in partnership with the Essex County Board of Commissioners, this one-day celebration offered an unforgettable blend of live theater, interactive activities, family fun, and local flavor for people of all ages. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.

"We envision the Montclair Theater Festival as a place where everyone belongs — where professional artists, emerging talent, and community members come together to share in the joy of creativity. It’s about celebrating the arts, activating our beautiful public spaces, and creating memories that reflect the vibrant diversity of Montclair." — Janeece Freeman Clark, Producing Artistic Director, Vanguard Theater Company

At the heart of the festival were 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).

In addition to these headlining shows, the festival highlighted performances from Vanguard’s past season selections, as well as other local arts organizations. 

Performances included OffBook Productions (1776) and Chatham Community Players (Nine); StageWorks (Thirteen) , Villagers Theatre ( Anything Goes), Gas Lamp Players (Little Mermaid), Studio Players (Grimm Tales); Luna Stage ( Excerpts from the 25/26 Season); The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ (Shakespeare’s Who’s On First); and Vanguard Theater’s Mainstage performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Performances continued with 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. The festival concluded with Vanguard Theater’s Mainstage performance of Shrek The Musical.

Here are more photos from the festival.

The Montclair Theater Festival was made possible through the generous support of The Essex County Board Of Commissioners, as well as community partners and sponsors including (but not limited to): Papermill Playhouse, Montclair Cooperative School, and Park Street Automotive Inc. 

Many of the theater companies had tables at the event where festival attendees could learn more about the theater groups and how to get involved with them. For a detailed directory of community theaters around the state, click here. For a detailed look at Equity theatres across New Jersey, click here.

Founded in 2015, Vanguard Theater Company is a unique 501(c)(3) organization committed to changing social and cultural narratives through theater dedicated to DREAM: Diversity, Reciprocity, Education, Activism, and Mentorship. 

Made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

ALL PHOTOS BY JOHN POSADA

John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. For more than 15 years, John has photographed live events where he mastered the techniques of timing and capturing fast moving action under challenging lighting conditions. Currently, John has spent the last 3 years concentrating on photographing almost 200 theatre productions for over 70 different theatres. Click here for John's website.