St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Announces 2026 Season

St. Louis Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2026 season including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Tempest, the return of Romeo & Zooliet, and Two Gentlemen of Verona.

The Tempest will be the mainstage production in Forest Park. Former St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Rick Dildine will direct. Nancy Bell, fresh off her critically acclaimed run in The Rep’s production of Emma, will star as Prospero. The free public performances open on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, and will run through June 21st. The Tempest will run Tuesday – Sunday evenings in Shakespeare’s Glen.

The festival is teaming up with Albion Theatre, and its artistic director Robert Ashton, to stage Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. The Tom Stoppard absurdist comedy will run from March 26 – April 11, 2026, in the Kranzberg Black Box. Albion Theatre is the city’s preeminent award-winning producer of British and Irish plays.

This season the annual TOURCO production of Two Gentleman of Verona will be directed by New Jewish Theatre’s Artistic Director Rebekah Scallet. The free production will tour city and county parks for five consecutive weeks. The 90-minute adaptation will feature six actors performing the Shakespeare classic. The first production is slated for August 4, 2026.

Last year’s audience and critical darling, Romeo & Zooliet, is making a triumphant return this fall. St. Louis Shakespeare Festival calls Romeo & Zooliet “a vibrant family comedy filled with laughter, friendship, and larger than life puppets from world-renowned Michael Curry Designs.” The location of the productions will be announced later.

In addition to the four main productions, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival will feature Boozy Bards “The Reclaiming of the Shrew” at Schlafly Tap Room from February 5 – 13, 2026, and The Confluence of New Play Festival from March 19-21, 2026. The Festival also announced the return of Shakespeare in the Streets to Dogtown during their 2027 season.