Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2017 Season Overview

In addition to its signature mainstage production at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park,

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis will continue to produce programming in the schools and

in the streets. Events are as follows:

Education Tour & Programming: Feb. 6 - April 16

A timely retelling of Julius Caesar, and an original play for young audiences by

playwright-in-residence Nancy Bell, Found at Sea, will highlight Shakespeare Festival

St. Louis’ award-winning Education Tour, Feb. 6 through April 16, at up to 65 schools

throughout the metro area and rural Missouri. Pairing the 50-minute performances with

student workshops, the touring program showcases the words and deeds of William

Shakespeare’s timeless characters and themes written more than 400 years ago that still

resonate today. The Festival is partnering with Kids In The Middle to offer resources

about divorce for schools, children and families. The cast will meet with a

representative from Kids In The Middle to discuss topics from the play and the

challenges young people and families may face during divorce. A talkback is scheduled

in partnership with Kids In The Middle at 2 p.m., on March 18, at the St. Louis Public

Library – Central Branch.

The Festival will also be expanding an artist’s residency program to a St. Louis metro

school and two schools in rural Missouri. Introduced as a pilot program in rural Scott

County in 2016, professional teaching actors spent a week in the school community

performing and teaching a residency on the literary arts. This year, even more students

will receive the rich impact of repeat visits with guest artists as the company returns to

Scott County, and expands its reach to Callao C-8 and McCluer High School.

SHAKE 38: April 19-23

SHAKE 38, the Festival’s community organized marathon of the Bard’s 38-play canon,

heads into its eighth season with its most diverse offerings yet. The Festival is

commissioning 38 chefs for “38 Eats,” the entire canon performed through the eyes of

St. Louis’ culinary masters. In partnership with the International Photography Hall of

Fame, SHAKE 38 will feature all the plays through 38 photos from a diverse array of

the city’s photographers. Last year’s headlining act, CRY HAVOC, will also return for

two performances. The play features actor/veteran Stephan Wolfert as he leads

audiences on an interactive journey to meet Shakespeare’s veterans, and confronts the

difficulties today’s soldiers face in leaving military service to rejoin the civilian

world. The powerful one-person play speaks to the impact of theater as a tool for social

change and the way the themes of Shakespeare’s 400-year-old works resonate

meaningfully in modern life. CRY HAVOC is presented in partnership with the St.

Louis Public Library and will play at 1 p.m., on April 22-23, at the St. Louis Public

Library -- Central Branch. Tickets will be free, but limited.

The Winter’s Tale: June 2-25

Preview performances: May 31, June 1

The play is considered to be one of a group of Shakespeare’s plays defined by their

tragic undertones and simultaneous use of straightforward comic situations. The

Winter’s Tale will feature a diverse cast portraying some of Shakespeare’s most iconic

characters, original music by St. Louis-based The Rats & People Motion Picture

Orchestra, and the incredible outdoor setting of Forest Park. Bruce Longworth will

direct the production, his fourth for the Festival (Henry V, 2014; Othello, 2012; Hamlet,

2010). The nightly Green Show will feature pre-show entertainment including music,

synopsis, roaming performers, and family arts and crafts. The traditional “mini-play”

version of the mainstage show will be performed on Fridays only as part of the Green

Show.

.

Shakespeare in the Streets: ONE CITY – Downtown St. Louis: Sept. 15-17

Residents from all neighborhoods will be asked to reflect on “what it means to be a St.

Louisan today” as part of the 2017 Shakespeare in the Streets: ONE CITY, underwritten

by PNC Arts Alive. This is the sixth annual free theatrical experience that invites St.

Louis neighborhoods to tell their stories. Nancy Bell, the Festival’s playwright-in-

residence, authors the productions. The Urban League of St. Louis will also serve as a

producing partner of the production. The specific location will be announced later this

year.

Leadership support for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2017 season is provided by the

Whitaker Foundation. The Festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment

for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts &

Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

A Synopsis of The Winter’s Tale

Overview

Written in approximately 1610, The Winter’s Tale is considered to be one of a

group of Shakespeare’s plays defined by their tragic undertones and simultaneous use of

straightforward comic situations. Other plays that are grouped in this category include

Measure for Measure, The Merchant of Venice, Troilus & Cressida, All’s Well that

Ends Well, and Timon of Athens. While this is the first time the Festival will be

featuring this play as its mainstage show in Forest Park, The Winter’s Tale was adapted

for the 2013 Shakespeare in the Streets production Old Hearts Fresh written by Festival

playwright Nancy Bell and performed in The Grove.

As an interesting side note, the play contains perhaps Shakespeare’s most

famous and challenging stage direction: ‘Exit, pursued by a bear,” in Act 3, Scene 3.

Whether the Bard meant to use a real bear or an actor in a costume is a directive that has

been debated for centuries. Either way, the pursued (Antigonus) and the bear are not

seen again after their exit.

Summary

Leontes, King of Sicilia, is groundlessly convinced his pregnant wife Hermione

has been having an affair with his childhood friend Polixenes, King of Bohemia, who has

been visiting Leontes and his wife for the past nine months.

Leontes persuades his trusted courtier, Camillo, to poison Polixenes. Camillo,

however, doubts the charge and warns Polixenes. The two men flee to Bohemia. Leontes

dispatches two of his courtiers to the Oracle at Delphi to learn whether Hermione had

been unfaithful, even though he is convinced of her guilt.

While in prison, Hermione gives birth to a daughter. Hoping the king will change

his mind, Hermione’s friend Paulina presents the baby girl to Leontes. Leontes goes into

a rage and orders Paulina’s husband, Antigonus, to leave the baby on a remote shore

somewhere. While following through on this order, Antigonus is attacked and killed by a

bear.

Hermione is tried for treason. Leontes disagrees with the Oracle’s assertion that

his wife is innocent and, as a result, his son Mamillius dies of an illness brought on by the

accusations against his mother. Upon hearing of her son’s death, Hermione collapses and

is carried from the courtroom. Paulina returns and says that Hermione has died.

Meanwhile, an old shepherd and his son discover the abandoned baby girl, raise

her as their own daughter, and name her Perdita.

Sixteen years later, Perdita is being courted by Polixenes’ son, Prince Florizel, who

has disguised himself as a shepherd named Doricles. Polixenes denounces his son for

courting a shepherdess and so the young couple flees to Sicilia with the help of Camillo.

Eventually, Perdita’s true identify is revealed to Leontes. Rejoicing commences. The

entire company retires to Paulina’s house in the country to see a newly created statue of

Hermione. Paulina reveals that the “statue” is, in truth, Hermione, who did not die and

whom she has sheltered and kept safe for 16 years. A genuinely repentant Leontes is

reunited with his wife and daughter.

# # #

Please note: embargoed until Jan. 24.

For additional information, contact

Mary McHugh, 314-910-1528 or

marymchugh1@mac.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces Cast for

The Winter’s Tale 2017 Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Mainstage Production Set for June 2-25

ST. LOUIS (Jan. 24, 2017) – The vengeful and doubting King Leontes and his falsely

accused wife Queen Hermione will be played by Festival veterans Charles Pasternak and Cherie

Corinne Rice in Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ production of The Winter’s Tale, June 2-25, at

Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. This marks the company’s 17th season of free, outdoor,

professional theatre in the park. Preview performances are scheduled May 31 and June 1.

Performances run nightly, except Tuesdays, and begin at 8 p.m.

Bruce Longworth, associate artistic director for the Festival, will direct the production,

his fourth time in Shakespeare Glen. Previous productions include Henry V (2014), Othello

(2012) and Hamlet (2010). In 2016, Longworth adapted and directed Shakespeare Festival St.

Louis projects for the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and the St. Louis Symphony.

The Winter’s Tale will also feature original music composed by St. Louis-based Rats &

People Motion Picture Orchestra. This is the group’s third collaboration with the Festival, having

composed scores for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), and Twelfth Night (2013). The nightly

Green Show will begin at 6:30 p.m. and feature local musicians, a synopsis of the play, and

roaming performers. On Friday nights throughout the production, the Festival’s advanced teen

ensemble, the Shakespeare Squadron, will perform a 20-minute version of The Winter’s Tale.

Pasternak, who most recently appeared in Antony & Cleopatra (Octavius Caesar, 2015),

Henry IV, and Henry V (Hotspur and the Dauphin, respectively, 2014) is a classically trained

actor from Los Angeles who has performed in theaters across the country. He is the founder and

artistic director of the LA-based Porters of Hellsgate Theatre Co. Rice, who played Bianca in the

2012 production of Othello, currently works in New York City. Her most recent work can be seen

on Pop’s new comedy series “Nightcap.” She is originally from the San Francisco Bay area.

“The diversity of experiences and backgrounds makes this one of our strongest casts to

date. This will be a company of many familiar faces to our audiences, making this feel a bit like a

reunion,” said Rick Dildine, artistic and executive director for the Festival. “Bruce and I were

looking for individuals who could portray the diversity of the human experience, something this

production unveils with its numerous moments of magic, redemption, love and forgiveness.

Overall, our cast ranges in age from 10 years old and up, comes from across the country, and

represents all pockets of St. Louis.”

Joining Pasternak and Rice in the lead roles will be Festival veterans Rachel Christopher

(Paulina), Andy Matthews (Camillo), Antonio Rodriguez (Shepherd’s Son), and Chauncy

Thomas (Polixenes). Cassia Thompson, who appeared in last year’s A Midsummer Night’s

Dream, and is also a recent graduate of the Webster University Conservatory, will play the role of

Perdita.

Other Shakespeare Glen veterans include Gary Glasgow (Autolycus/Mariner/Lord),

Michael James Reed (Antigonus), Whit Reichert (Shepherd/Jailer), Jerry Vogel (Cleomenes) and

Peter Winfrey (Florizel/Court Officer). Recent Webster University Conservatory graduate Myke

Andrews (Country Servant/Gentleman/Lord) will also be returning to Shakespeare Glen

following his appearance in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Webster students making their

Festival debut include Andrew Oppman (Dion/Lord), Sigrid Wise (Emilia/Dorcas), and Delaney

Piggins (Mopsa). Ten-year-old Carter Eiseman, of Webster Groves, will play the role of Leonte’s

son, Mamillius.

The creative team includes Scott Neale (Set Design), Dottie Marshall Englis (Costume

Design), John Wylie (Lighting Designer), Rusty Wandall (Sound Designer), and Suzanne Mills

(Voice & Text Coach).

The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra composes and performs original soundtrack

music for silent films and other collaborative art projects. Co-founders Brien Seyle and Matt Pace

have written and performed scores for more than a dozen silent films, and continue to provide

music for museum exhibits, performance art pieces, and theater. Seyle appeared as an extra in

Twelfth Night, playing violin as part of the incidental music ensemble, while Pace served as

music director for the 2013 and 2016 seasons. Seyle studied music at St. Louis Community

College at Forest Park and Maryville University, and is a veteran of St. Louis’ vibrant

independent music scene. Pace is an adjunct instructor of music theory and musicianship at

several St. Louis colleges and universities, including Washington University where he received

his PhD in 2011.

Butler’s Pantry is the official VIP caterer for the Festival; the Saint Louis Zoo will

provide food and beverage concessions nightly. Schlafly is the official beer of Shakespeare

Festival St. Louis. Admission is free; ticketed and reserved seating is also available online and in

the park.

Since its inception in 2001, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has surpassed the one million

mark in attendance through its work In the Schools, In the Streets and In the Park with more than

710,000 people attending the free main stage productions at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. The

organization has reached an additional 300,000 students In the Schools through its educational

programming. In 2010, the Festival launched SHAKE 38, a marathon participatory presentation

of Shakespeare’s entire 38-play canon community wide. In 2012, the Festival shut down its first

street, Cherokee, to present a community-based play In the Streets. Leadership support for

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2017 season is provided by the Whitaker Foundation. The

Festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts

Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

In 2016, the Festival was named Arts Organization of the Year by the Missouri Arts Council. For

more information, please visit www.sfstl.com, or call 314-531-9800.

# # #

The Winter’s Tale

Cast & Creative Team

Bruce Longworth (Director)

Bruce Longworth, who directed Henry V (2014), Othello (2012), and Hamlet (2010) for

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, is the Associate Artistic Director of the Festival. He has been a

faculty member in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University since 1985, and is the

Head of the Performance programs. Local and regional directing credits include The Repertory

Theatre of St. Louis, Arrowrock Lyceum Theatre, Mustard Seed Theatre, New Jewish Theatre,

Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Missouri Thespians, International Thespians and many shows for

the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster. This past year he has adapted and directed projects

for the Pulitzer Museum and the St. Louis Symphony. Bruce is a member of the Society of Stage

Directors and Actors Equity Association.

Scott Neale (Scenic Designer)

Scott Neale is excited to return to Shakespeare Glen after designing the set for A Midsummer

Night’s Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry IV & Henry V, Twelfth Night, and The Taming of

the Shrew. Recent design credits: La Didone (Yale Baroque Opera), Georama and One Man Two

Guvnors (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). Scott has been Resident Set Designer for Albany

Park Theater Project in Chicago since 2006. Recent APTP projects include the nationally

recognized fully immersive production of Learning Curve with Third Rail Projects, Feast, God’s

Work, and Home/Land (Goodman Theatre). Recent corporate projects include promotional event

concepts for HBO's “Westworld,” AMC's “Fear the Walking Dead,” National Geographic

Channel's “Mars,” and the Premiere Screening Event of the National Geographic Channel’s

“Saints and Strangers,” NYC (Production Glue LLC); Dahlonega Gold Museum and Heritage

Site, Auburn Avenue Mural Design, Arabia Mountain Nat’l Heritage Area Interpretive Signage

Design for Signature Design in Atlanta, GA. He has recently relocated to San Antonio, TX where

he is Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at Trinity University. Scott is a proud member of

United Scenic Artists Local 829, and a credited contributor to the collegiate textbook Scene

Design and Stage Lighting, 9th and 10th Editions.

Dottie Englis (Costume Designer)

Dorothy Marshall Englis designed costumes for previous Festival productions of Romeo and

Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, The Henry Project, Antony and Cleopatra, and A

Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other recent designs include A Christmas Carol, The Winslow Boy,

and All the Way, (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Indiana

Repertory Theatre); Othello, The Merchant of Venice, and Titus Andronicus (Illinois Shakespeare

Festival. A member of United Scenic Artists, Dottie is a Full Professor of Design and Chair of the

Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.

John Wylie (Lighting Designer)

John Wylie is the Head of Production Programs at Webster University where he teaches

Technical Direction and Lighting. He is a graduate of Augustana College and the University of

Missouri at Kansas City.

John has designed for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, the Missouri Rep, the St. Louis Black

Rep, Metro Theatre Company, Variety Children’s Theatre and Geva Theatre in New York,

among others. This is his 11th season with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. In past seasons, John

has designed the lighting for Much Ado About Nothing, Richard III, The Merry Wives of Windsor,

Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, Twelfth Night, Henry V, Antony and Cleopatra and A

Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Rusty Wandall (Sound Design)

Rusty Wandall is excited to be returning to the festival for his sixth year. Rusty was honored with

the 2016 St. Louis Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Sound Design for his work on the

Festival’s production of Antony and Cleopatra. He is currently the head of sound design at

Webster University and the resident sound designer at the Repertory Theater of St. Louis. He has

also worked with Variety Children’s Theatre, Metro Theater Company, Opera Theatre St. Louis,

Hot City Theatre, and Mustard Seed Theatre here in St Louis. Rusty has also worked with

regional theaters including Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Geva Theatre Center, Indiana

Repertory Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, and the Kitchen Theater Company. He also

serves as the sound designer and engineer for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival in

Kansas City. He holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Sound Design from the University of

Missouri-Kansas City, and is a member of the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers

Association (TSDCA).

Suzanne Mills (Voice and Text Coach)

Suzanne Mills is happy to be working on her ninth production for the Festival. Since 2010 she

has coached Hamlet, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, Twelfth Night, Henry IV, Henry V,

Antony and Cleopatra, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is delighted to be celebrating her

30th collaboration with director, Bruce Longworth. Many thanks to her family Hannah, David and

Emma for their support and love of theatre. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity

Association.

Cast Role

Myke Andrews Country Servant/Gentleman/Lord

Rachel Christopher* Paulina

Carter Eiseman Mamillius

Gary Glasgow* Autolycus/Mariner/Lord

Andy Matthews* Camillo

Andrew Oppman Dion/Lord

Charles Pasternak* Leontes

Delaney Piggins Lady 2/Mopsa

Michael James Reed* Antigonus

Cherie Rice* Hermione

Antonio Rodriguez* Shepherd’s Sons

Chauncy Thomas* Polixenes

Cassia Thompson Perdita

Whit Reichert* Shepherd/Jailer

Jerry Vogel* Cleomenes

Peter Winfrey Florizel/Court Officer

Sigrid Wise Lady 1 (Emilia)/Dorcus

Myke Andrews (Country Servant/Gentleman/Lord)

Myke Andrews is returning to Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and is elated to be working on this

production. He recently played the role of Macbeth in Webster Conservatory's production of

Macbeth. Andrews is a recent graduate of Webster Conservatory.

Rachel Christopher* (Paulina)

New York: Yelena (Minor Character) with Under the Radar Festival-Public Theater; Life of a

Giant Tortoise (Sonic), with The Play Company; At the Table (Lauren) with Fault Line Theatre.

Regional: Detroit ’67 (Chelle) with PlayMakers Repertory Company; A Midsummer Night's

Dream (Helena) with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis; Disgraced (Jory) with Repertory Theatre

St. Louis; The Heidi Chronicles (Susan Johnston) with Trinity Repertory Company; Crime and

Punishment (Sonia) and Yellowman (Alma) with Trinity Repertory Company; Zero Cost House,

Pig Iron Theatre Company; House of Home (Williamstown Theatre Festival); Western Country

(Williamstown Theatre Festival). TV/Film: “Girl on the Train,” “Billions.” Rachel is a graduate

of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Acting Program and holds a BA in Drama and Classics from

Vassar College.

Carter Eiseman (Mamillius)

Carter Eiseman’s professional credit includes Grey Gardens at Max and Louis Productions. Her

theatrical credits include Annie (Kate), Beauty and the Beast (ensemble,) Mary Poppins

(ensemble), Little Mermaid (ensemble), Oliver (orphan). Other favorite credits include film,

“Morrie” (Morrie). Carter is entering fifth grade in the fall.

Gary Glasgow* (Autolycus/Mariner/Lord

Gary Glasgow is returning for his 13th season at Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. Favorite

productions include Henry IV (Lord Chamberlain)/Henry V (Archbishop), Twelfth Night (Fabian),

Richard III (Hastings), Antony and Cleopatra (Lepidus/Soothsayer) and The Taming of the Shrew

(Gremio). Recently, he appeared in Mustard Seed Theatre’s production of Dancing at Lughnasa,

where he is on the Advisory Board. Other local venues include The MUNY (20 seasons), the

New Jewish Theatre and the Variety Children’s Theatre. He is a faculty member of the

Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University.

Andy Matthews* (Camillo)

Anderson Matthews has appeared at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis in Henry IV (Worcester),

Henry V (Chorus), Twelfth Night (Malvolio) and Hamlet (Polonius). He has appeared in 30

productions at Repertory Theatre of St Louis, most recently All the Way. Other regional credits

include Cincinnati Playhouse, Pioneer Theatre, Arena Stage and Lincoln Center in Arcadia. Off

Broadway credits include Driving Miss Daisy and Ten by Tennessee. Television credits include

“Law and Order” and “The Equalizer.” Film credits include “The Hard Way” and “Old 37,” a

horror film that apparently will never see the light of day.

Andrew Oppman (Dion/Lord)

Andrew Oppmann is thrilled to be making his Shakespeare Festival St. Louis debut. First Stage

Children’s Theater: Gathering Blue, Big: The Musical, Peter and the Wolf, How I Became a

Pirate. Other credits: Romeo and Juliet (Romeo), An Enemy of the People (Hovstad). He will be a

senior at the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University where he has been seen in

Macbeth (Banquo) and The Pajama Game.

Charles Pasternak* (Leontes)

Previously with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis: Hotspur in Henry IV, the Dauphin in Henry V,

and Octavius in Antony and Cleopatra. Regional: Christmas Carol, Three Musketeers,

Mousetrap, and Two Gentlemen of Verona with Indiana Repertory Theatre; The Busy Body and

Titus with Clarence Brown Theatre; title role in Macbeth at Sierra Repertory Theatre; Much Ado

at Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; four seasons with Shakespeare Santa Cruz, roles included

Romeo, Hal, and Henry V; Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and Three Musketeers at Denver Center;

Creditors at Ensemble Santa Barbara; Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet with

Shakespeare Center Los Angeles, among others. Founder and Artistic Director of The Porters of

Hellsgate Theatre Co. based in Los Angeles, CA.

Delaney Marie Piggins (Lady 2/Mopsa)

Delaney Marie Piggins is a rising senior at Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

Her previous credits include Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play (Jenny), The Verge (Adelaide),

Macbeth, The Philadelphia Story and Trojan Women at the Webster Conservatory. She is thrilled

to be making her debut with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.

Michael James Reed* (Antigonus)

Michael James Reed is a Shakespeare Festival St. Louis veteran, having appeared in Antony &

Cleopatra, Henry IV & Henry V, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew (in the Park), Good in

Everything (Shakespeare in the Streets), Loves Labor (at the Pulitzer) as well as Tales of

Shakespeare and Julius Caesar (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Education Tour). He’s performed

locally at the MUNY, New Jewish Theatre, Hot City, Upstream, St. Louis Actors Studio, and

numerous times at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis (Theatre Circle Award winner as Bottom

in A Midsummer Night’s Dream). New York theatre credits include La Bete (original Broadway

cast) and King Lear (The Roundabout, starring Hal Holbrook), and regional highlights include

Old Globe (San Diego), Alley Theatre (Houston), ACT (San Francisco), South Coast Rep (Costa

Mesa), Pasadena Playhouse, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Michael trained at London's Guildhall

School of Music and Drama.

Cherie Rice* (Hermione)

Cherie Corinne Rice is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area but works as an actress in

New York City. Cherie's most recent work can be seen on Pop's new comedy series “Nightcap.”

Other favorite roles include The Glass Menagerie (Light Fantastic Theater), Othello (Shakespeare

Festival St. Louis), Twelfth Night (Trinity Rep Theater) and Sacred Water (Rag & Bone Theater).

Cherie fell in love with Forest Park and St. Louis during 2012's Othello. She is thrilled to be

returning to Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.

Antonio Rodriguez* (Shepherd’s Sons)

Antonio Rodriguez is happy to be back at the Festival, having previously appeared in

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ Education Tour, Shakespeare in the Streets and on the main stage

at Shakespeare Glen. His favorite St. Louis credits include The Violet Hour (Max & Louie

Productions), Cafe Chanson (Upstream Theatre), All is Calm (Mustard Seed Theatre), Henry IV

and Henry V (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis), The Who’s Tommy (Stray Dog Theatre), Bad Jews

(New Jewish Theatre), and in Chicago, Altar Boyz (Mayne Stage). Antonio is a winner of two St.

Louis Theatre Circle Awards. He currently lives in Chicago and is a proud member of Actor’s

Equity.

Chauncy Thomas* (Polixenes)

Chauncy Thomas, a former St. Louisan currently residing in New York City, is honored to return

to Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis. Favorite credits include Romeo and Juliet (Lincoln Center

Education), To Kill a Mockingbird (Bay Street Theater), Alabama Story (Wellfleet Harbor Actors

Theatre), Clybourne Park (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), Othello (Shakespeare Festival of

St. Louis), The Real McCoy (The Black Rep, Kevin Kline Award Nomination), and

Topdog/Underdog (St. Louis Actors’ Studio, St. Louis Theatre Circle Award Nomination). TV:

“Madam Secretary.”

Cassia Thompson (Perdita)

Cassia Thompson’s professional credits include The Tempest remount (The Shakespeare Theatre

Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Festival St. Louis), Safe House

(Repertory Theatre of St. Louis). Other favorite credits include Shotgun (Mattie Godchaux), Stop

Kiss (Sara), and The Tempest (Ariel) at Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts.

www.cassiathompson.com

Whit Reichert* (Shepherd/Jailer)

Whit Reichert will be making his seventh mainstage production at Shakespeare Festival of St.

Louis. Whit was most recently seen in The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’s production of To Kill

a Mockingbird (Judge Taylor). Favorite credits include 1776 (Ben Franklin), Sugar (Osgood

Fielding), Sunshine Boys (Al Lewis) at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre; Driving Miss Daisy

(Boolie), Ten Little Indians (General Mackenzie), Terra Nova (Oates), The Gamester (Dorante) at

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; The Subject Was Roses (John Cleary) at The Avalon Theatre;

Here’s Love (Kris Kringle) at The Fireside Theatre; How To Succeed in Business Without Really

Trying (J. B. Biggley), The Music Man (Mayor Shinn), She Loves Me (Mr. Maraczek) at Stages

St. Louis; Anything Goes (Moonface Martin) at Kansas City Starlight; and A Funny Thing

Happened on the Way to the Forum (Pseudolus) at 1894 Grand Opera House in Galveston, Texas.

Whit resides in St. Louis with the love of his life, Millie Garvey, and has been a proud member of

AEA for 42 years.

Jerry Vogel* (Cleomenes)

Jerry Vogel is a St. Louis based professional actor/director/teacher. Jerry has appeared in many

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis productions, some favorites include; A Midsummer Night’s Dream

(twice), As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry IV and Henry V and The Tempest.

Recent acting credits include: All the Way and A Christmas Carol (Repertory Theatre of St.

Louis), Old Wicked Songs (New Jewish Theatre), Shining City (Upstream Theatre) and Fiddler

on the Roof (the MUNY). Regional theatre credits include: Cincinnati Playhouse, The Black

Repertory, Mustard Seed Theatre, Insight Theatre, Max & Louie Productions, Avalon Theatre,

Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Historyonics, The New Theatre, Theatre Project Co, and more than

30 shows at Arrow Rock’s Lyceum Theatre. Jerry also made his feature film debut in the Oscar

nominated “Up in the Air.”

Peter Winfrey (Florizel/Court Officer)

Pete Winfrey is beyond excited to be back with the Shakespeare Festival St. Louis for his fifth

show in the park. Previously, he performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the 2015

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Education Tour, Twelfth Night, Othello, and Taming of the Shrew.

Favorite credits include The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Metro Theater Company),

Bad Jews (New Jewish Theatre, St. Louis Theater Circle Award Nomination), The 39 Steps

(Slightly Askew Theatre Ensemble), and Parade (R-S Theatrics, St. Louis Theater Circle Award

Nomination). He is a proud St. Louis native and graduate of Washington University.

Sigrid Wise (Lady 1/Emilia/Dorcus)

Sigrid Wise is a recent graduate of Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts and an alumnus of

Interlochen Arts Academy. She performed in St. Louis Symphony’s opening of the 2016

Shakespeare Festival in The Tempest as Miranda. Favorite shows at Webster include Big Love

(Olympia), The Cockfight Play (W), and Macbeth (Lady Macbeth). A college career highlight was

performing at the International Havana Theatre Festival in Cuba with Webster’s cast of Big Love.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ 2017 Production:

The Winter’s Tale

In Shakespeare Glen, Forest Park, June 2-25

Preview performances May 31 - June 1

8:00 p.m. nightly (except Tuesdays) 6:30 p.m. Green Show

Performance Logistics

Admission: Admission is free; donations are gratefully accepted, and

membership is encouraged. Ticketed, reserved seating is also

available online and in the park. Connect: Website: www.sfstl.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shakesfestSTL Twitter: @shakesfestSTL Instagram: ShakesfestSTL Snapchat: shakesfestSTL Forest Park is wheelchair accessible; designated parking is available in the free lots. Accessible performance seating is also available. Please call us if you need specific assistance: 314-531-9800 Pre-show Activities:

The nightly 6:30 p.m. Green Show features:

Music by area bands;

Synopsis of the play;

Roaming Musicians, Dancers, Singers, Jugglers, and other Performers;

Family Art Activities Area provided by the National Charity League and Friends of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis;

Free backstage tours at 6:30 p.m.

Fridays ONLY: A 20-minute adaptation of The Winter’s Tale, designed to

introduce the characters and plot to children of all ages, performed by members

of the Shakespeare Squadron, the Festival’s teen ensemble.

Getting to the Park The Festival is located in Shakespeare Glen on Fine Arts Drive in Forest Park,

east of the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Parking Festival audiences can find street parking along Government, Lagoon, and Fine

Arts drives, and also use the upper West parking lot near the Saint Louis Art

Museum. Shakespeare donors at $1,250 or above can reserve complimentary

parking in the Upper East lot. For information on parking locations, visit

https://www.sfst.com/in-the-park/plan-your-visit/

Public transportation The Festival is a 20-minute walk from the Forest Park Metro Station at

DeBaliviere, and the Skinker Metro Station at Skinker and Forest Park

Parkway. Forest Park is also served by the #90 Bus. The Forest Park Trolley

provides service to additional parking in the park, but has limited service hours.

For transit information, visit

http://www.metrostlouis.org/PLanYourTrip/Overview.aspx

Cycling Forest Park is known for its bike paths. Bicycle rental is offered at the Forest

Park Information Center and bicycle racks are available at the Festival (please

bring your own lock). Visit http://www.forestparkforever.org/ Seating Open lawn seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis; bring your blankets or chairs. Premium seating, priced at $10 and $20, can be reserved online starting May 5 at www.sfstl.com until noon the day of the show, or purchased after 5:30 p.m. in the Glen. Group rates are available for parties of 20 or more. Visit https://www.sfstl.com/in-the-park/plan-your-visit/ for more information on seating. Food/Drink Picnic fare, including sandwiches, snacks, beer, wine, soda, and water are available for purchase, provided by the Saint Louis Zoo. Cash, debit, and credit cards are accepted. Schlafly is the official beer of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Butler’s Pantry and the Festival will offer picnic boxes that will include a full dinner and dessert, plus optional reserved blanket or chair seating for the show. Picnics must be ordered in advance online or by phone and will be available for purchase after May 5, 2017. Festival Gift Shop A selection of Shakespeare-themed items, as well as posters and t-shirts designed for this year’s show, are available for sale at the Festival Gift Shop.

Weather Policy In the event of inclement weather, performances may be delayed up to one hour. Should conditions persist, that evening’s performance may be cancelled as a last resort.

Call the Weather Hotline (updated hourly between 5 - 8 p.m. on performance nights) at 314-531-9800, ext. 7, or follow the Festival on Twitter (@shakesfeststl for up-to-the-minute information. Contact Information: Please visit www.sfstl.com or call 314-531-9800.

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Productions:

2001 Romeo and Juliet

2002 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2003 Macbeth

2004 As You Like It

2005 The Tempest

2006 Julius Caesar

2007 Much Ado About Nothing

2008 The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

2009 The Merry Wives of Windsor

2010 Hamlet

2011 The Taming of the Shrew

2012 Othello

2013 Twelfth Night

2014 Henry IV & Henry V

2015 Antony and Cleopatra

2016 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2017 The Winter’s Tale

Rick Dildine

Artistic and Executive Director Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Rick Dildine is Artistic and Executive Director of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Under

his leadership, Festival attendance has grown 55 percent and revenue, 38 percent. In addition, the

organization has received numerous awards including the Exemplary Community

Achievement Award for the State of Missouri and the Excellence in the Arts Award from the Arts

& Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

Dildine was named 2014 “Theatre Artist of the Year” by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “40 Under

40” by the St. Louis Business Journal and recognized on the city’s Power List of “100 People

Who Are Reshaping the City.” Recognized as a leader in civic engagement, Dildine began the

company’s community initiatives, which led to the creation of “Shakespeare in the Streets” and

“SHAKE 38,” both of which have been featured in American Theatre Magazine as national

models in community development using the performing arts. Dildine was a keynote speaker at

the first national Innovation Summit for the Arts in Denver, CO, in 2013. He has held leadership

positions at Shakespeare & Company, About Face Theatre, Stephen Foster Theatre, and Brown

University/Trinity Rep New Plays Festival under the direction of Pulitzer Prize winner Paula

Vogel. Dildine has traveled on TCG delegations to Cuba and China and served on numerous

grant panels including the National Endowment for the Arts. He has taught or served on staff for

Brown University, Clark University, and Webster University, where he served as Director of the

MFA Arts Management & Leadership program and currently teaches within its BFA Acting

program. He is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and Brown University/Trinity Rep with

an MFA in Acting and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Society of

Directors and Choreographers.

Bruce Longworth

Associate Artistic Director

Bruce Longworth, who directed Henry V (2014), Othello (2012), and Hamlet (2010) for

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, is the Associate Artistic Director of the Festival. He has been a

faculty member in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University since 1985, and is the

Head of the Performance programs. Local and regional directing credits include The Repertory

Theatre of St. Louis, Arrowrock Lyceum Theatre, Mustard Seed Theatre, New Jewish Theatre,

Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Missouri Thespians, International Thespians and many shows for

the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster. This past year he has adapted and directed projects

for the Pulitzer Museum and the St. Louis Symphony. Longworth is a member of the Society of

Stage Directors and Actors Equity Association.

Jennifer Wintzer

Director of Community Engagement and Education

Jennifer Wintzer oversees the Festival’s community and education programming to include

producing Shakespeare in the Streets, SHAKE 38, and the educational touring season. Wintzer

previously served as Education Projects Manager for the highly successful Learning English and

Drama (LEAD) Project at Lincoln Center Theater. While there, she was part of a curriculum

development and teaching artist team responsible for hosting more than 3,500 student audiences

annually for shows including War Horse, Blood and Gifts, Golden Boy, Ann, Macbeth and Act

One.

Selected educational theater credits include Education Coordinator at Second Stage Theatre

Company; three seasons as Assistant Director for the MCC Theater Youth Company’s Off-

Broadway production of UnCensored at Theatre Row; Producing Artistic Director of the

Chekhov Theatre Ensemble’s The Poe Project in partnership with Theater for the New City; and

both a director and performer for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Imaginary Theatre

Company. Wintzer was awarded the Stages of Learning Master Teaching Artist Award (2006)

and Young Audiences New York’s Teaching Artist of the Year award in 2013.

Wintzer served on the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable’s Development Committee

and is a graduate of the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis’ Community Arts Training

(CAT). Wintzer has contributed to Floyd Rumohr’s StageIt! Shakespeare; Theatre

Communications Group’s TCG Circle: Diversity and Inclusion Series; NYC DOE Partnership

Institute; and the Shakespeare Theatre Association on the topics of Shakespeare with English

Language Learners, Working with First-time Actors, Community Engagement in the Arts and

Drama in the Elementary Classroom. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from The

Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and an Advanced Training Certificate in Arts

Education from Marymount Manhattan College.

Organization History and Mission

“To produce professional Shakespeare, culminating with a free production in Forest Park,

and to celebrate both Shakespeare’s language and the artists he has inspired.”

Mission Statement, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Shakespeare and works inspired by Shakespeare

in the Schools, in the Streets, and in the Park. Its work seeks to better the community, facilitate a

diverse conversation, and encourage collaboration across disciplines. The Festival is the only

professional, free theater in the St. Louis region, and remains one of only a dozen free,

professional Shakespeare festivals in the country.

Inspired by R. Crosby Kemper, III, the idea of a free, outdoor Shakespeare festival began

in 1997. In 2001, Chairman of the Board Marvin Moskowitz, first Managing Director Lana

Pepper and a visionary board of civic leaders, produced the first annual free Shakespeare Festival

in Forest Park. Now heading into its 17th season, the Festival has surpassed the one million mark

in attendance through its work In the Schools, In the Streets and In the Park, with more than

710,000 people attending the free main stage production at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. The

organization has reached an additional 300,000 students in the schools through its educational

programming. Both Shakespeare in the Streets and SHAKE 38 have received rave receptions in

the city’s neighborhoods. Recognized as the 2016 Arts Organization of the Year by the Missouri

Arts Council and the 2015 Arts & Education Council’s Excellence in the Arts Award,

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has become one of the city’s finest cultural organizations.

The Festival’s legacy is seen in the tens of thousands of patrons and students who have

participated in the organization’s programs and attended performances throughout the

community. Year-round programming allows St. Louisans to participate in events across the

region, and with a commitment to community, conversation and collaboration, the Festival’s

theme of unexpected theater in unexpected places drives the organization’s creative and

production choices. Each season, hundreds of supporters come together to produce Shakespeare

Festival St. Louis. Unlike other theaters in the region, the Festival depends almost entirely on the

contributions of individuals, foundations, corporations and public institutions for support.

In 2010, the Festival launched SHAKE 38, a marathon participatory presentation of

Shakespeare’s entire 38-play canon community wide, and in 2012, shut down its first street as

part of Shakespeare in the Streets, to present a community-based play in a St. Louis

neighborhood. This year, Shakespeare in the Streets will celebrate its sixth performance with a

program located in and inspired by downtown St. Louis, and SHAKE 38 will feature another

popular headlining event as it enters its seventh year of giving Shakespeare back to the St. Louis

community. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com or call 314/531-9800.

Shakespeare Festival Shows

2001 Romeo and Juliet

2002 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2003 Macbeth

2004 As You Like It

2005 The Tempest

2006 Julius Caesar

2007 Much Ado About Nothing

2008 The Tragedy of King Richard the Third

2009 The Merry Wives of Windsor

2010 Hamlet

2011 The Taming of the Shrew

2012 Othello

2013 Twelfth Night

2014 Henry IV & Henry V

2015 Antony and Cleopatra

2016 A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2017 The Winter’s Tale