Shakespeare Festival St. Louis
 A photo from Shakespeare Festival St. Louis performance, 2013 | |
| Address |
St. Louis, MO United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°38′17″N 90°17′27″W / 38.638104°N 90.290958°WCoordinates: 38°38′17″N 90°17′27″W / 38.638104°N 90.290958°W |
| Operator | Shakespeare Festival St. Louis |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Website | |
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www | |
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis (SFSTL) is a non-profit theatre company with a mission to promote the arts in the city and celebrate Shakespeare’s legacy in St. Louis. The company is responsible for putting on Shakespeare in the Park in Forest Park during the summer, Shakespeare in the Streets during the fall, and Shake 38 in the spring. They also offer summer arts opportunities to kids ages 8–19.
History
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has been presenting Shakespeare and works inspired by Shakespeare In the Schools, In the Streets, and In the Park since 1997. The Festival’s work seeks to better the community, facilitate a diverse conversation, and encourage collaboration across disciplines. They believe theatre is a powerful tool for social change and should be accessible to all.
Inspired by R. Crosby Kemper, III, the idea of a free Shakespeare festival began in 1997, and with broad civic support Shakespeare Festival St. Louis received 501(c)3 status in December 1999. In 2001 Chairman of the Board Marvin Moskowitz, first Managing Director Lana Pepper, and a visionary Board of community leaders produced the first annual free Shakespeare festival in Forest Park. Since the initial two-week run that attracted 33,000 audience members, the Festival has grown into a year-round institution producing over 250 public performances annually for nearly 100,000 patrons and students.
Today the Festival is recognized as an arts and culture leader and has received numerous awards including “Best Theatre Company,” “Most Innovative Arts Organization,” and Exemplary Community Achievement from the Missouri Humanities Council. In January 2015, the Festival received the St. Louis Arts and Education Council’s Excellence in the Arts Award.
| Past Shows [1] | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Henry IV | 2014 | Tim Ocel |
| Henry V | 2014 | Bruce Longworth |
| Twelfth Night | 2013 | Rick Dildine |
| Othello | 2012 | Bruce Longworth |
| The Taming of the Shrew | 2011 | Sean Graney |
| Hamlet | 2010 | Bruce Longworth |
| The Merry Wives of Windsor | 2009 | Jesse Berger |
| The Tragedy of Richard III | 2008 | Matthew Arbour |
| Much Ado About Nothing | 2007 | Jane Page |
| Julius Caesar | 2006 | Joe Discher |
| The Tempest | 2005 | Russell Treyz |
| As You Like It | 2004 | Risa Brainin |
| Macbeth | 2003 | Rick Sordelet |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | 2002 | Eleanor Holdridge |
| Romeo and Juliet | 2001 | PJ Paperelli |
Programs
IN THE SCHOOLS Through over 100 school partnerships, our 50-minute performances and workshops engage students in the timeless works of Shakespeare, the only recommended playwright in the Common Core State Standards. Shakespeare Festival St. Louis also offers unique summer arts opportunities at locations across St. Louis as well as Metro Youth Shakespeare, where teaching artists lead area high school students through in-depth study and rehearsal of a Shakespeare play. With emphasis on team-building, collaboration, and process, Metro Youth Shakespeare culminates with a public performance. Other education programs include Junior Wills and the Shakespeare Squadron.
IN THE STREETS Residents of the year’s selected St. Louis neighborhood contribute to all aspects of the production of an original play based on Shakespeare’s works, from story development to live performance. The result is a weekend-long celebration of their collective effort, with three live, outdoor performances in the community. Free and open to the public, these performances unite the neighborhood and introduce it as a creative force to the greater St. Louis area.
SITS LEGACY 2014 Good in Everything, based on Shakespeare’s As You Like It 2013 Old Hearts Fresh, based on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale 2012 The New World, based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest
SHAKE 38 Shakespeare Festival St. Louis invites the community to participate in a marathon celebration of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. SHAKE 38 has grown from a 38-hour performance by 200 artists to a five-day event attracting over 1,500 artists from across the region and dozens of diverse community partners. Performances take place on rooftops, bars, coffee shops, street corners, etc.
IN THE PARK Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ annual production takes place in Forest Park. With free admission, the community gathers in the thousands to see quality theatre and enjoy a night in the park. The Green Show is traditionally a prelude to an evening’s main performance and serves as a means of preparing the audience for that night’s offerings. At Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, our 90-minute Green Show includes featured local musicians, jugglers and clowns, a family craft area, and a 20-minute version of the Main Stage show.
Organization
MISSION Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ mission as state on their website:
“To produce professional Shakespeare theatre, culminating in a free production in Forest Park, and to celebrate both Shakespeare’s language and the artists he has inspired.”
OBJECTIVES [To] present Shakespeare and works inspired by Shakespeare. We are in the Schools, in the Streets, and in the Park. Our work seeks to better the community, facilitate a diverse conversation, and encourage collaboration across disciplines.