To be or not to be—that was never the question for the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Since 2001, the nonprofit has brought world-class productions of the Bard’s most famous works to St. Louis. This summer, the festival will launch its 25th season. To learn more about what’s on the horizon for the theatrical company, T&S reached out to producing artistic director Tom Ridgely.

Where did the idea for the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival come from?
The original Shakespeare in the Park was in New York City, but the St. Louis’ festival was directly inspired by the one in Kansas City. R. Crosby Kemper III thought free Shakespeare performances would benefit St. Louis, and development of the festival began in 1997. The first season was held in Forest Park in 2001 with a two-week production of Romeo & Juliet.

Why is it important for St. Louis to have a cultural resource like the festival?
There are fewer and fewer moments that bring together people from all corners of St. Louis. There is something really special about these stories. They have entertained and moved people for more than 400 years. Everyone knows Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet—they are part of our global culture. That is the great thing about Shakespeare as an artist. No other creator has become more pervasive. His words connect us all when so many forces seem to be unraveling the ties that bind.

How has the festival grown since its first season?
St. Louis Shakespeare has grown into a year-round organization with performances in dozens of locations in St. Louis. Along with a production in Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park, we also have a touring company that presents shows in public parks around St. Louis. It brings Shakespeare to neighborhoods and communities that don’t often have access to these kinds of arts experiences. The Shakespeare in the Streets program allows communities to tell their own stories and history through the adaptation of a Shakespeare play. We’ve also begun investing in new works and creative talent through the Confluence Regional Writers Project, which was created in 2018.

What are some highlights from the festival’s past seasons?
The first year was a big highlight. They didn’t know if people were going to show up or how the show was going to turn out. That first year, 33,000 people came to see Romeo & Juliet, and the show was beautiful. It was a really promising right foot to start on. Another highlight was André De Shields coming to St. Louis to play King Lear in 2021. He’s an incredible artist, and the response from the community was great. We were still dealing with the pandemic, and live events were only starting to come back. The reservations for the performances were booked in minutes after they were listed. Everyone was excited.

How important is community support to the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival?
Community support means everything. Most theatrical companies are selling tickets as part of their annual budget, but almost all of our productions are free. We make about 10% of our funding through tickets; for the other 90%, we rely on the support of community partners. It is our life blood. We do what we do for St. Louis, so it’s really wonderful to feel that it’s appreciated.

What can people look forward to for the 25th season?
We have a new partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo. We’re doing a full-scale production called Romeo & Zooliet. It’s the first time something like this has been tried in a zoo. It will feature incredible life-sized puppets created by the same artist who worked on The Lion King and Frozen on Broadway. It’s a very fun family-friendly introduction to Shakespeare. The Shakespeare the Park show is going to be Hamlet. It’s a fresh take set in mid-20th century New York, and the company we’ve brought together is incredibly talented. The touring show will be Tre’von Griffith’s afro-futurist take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the neighborhood for Shakespeare in the Streets is East St. Louis.

What is next for the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival?
There is so much we’re looking forward to. We’d love to bring the festival to a second park so we can extend our season into the spring or fall. We’d also love to find an artistic home where people can visit and feel like they’re at the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. We’re also looking for more ways to serve the community. The festival has gotten involved with Sumner High School, the oldest Black high school west of the Mississippi. We’ve helped develop a multi-year, in-school arts residency at the school. The Confluence program has commissioned 19 plays since it was developed, and we’re looking forward to working with more regional writers. Continuing to serve St. Louis is our biggest hope for the future.

For more information, visit stlshakes.org.

Photos courtesy of St. Louis Shakespeare Festival