The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival has announced its 2026 season, and the lineup is chock-full of romance, revenge, and laughs.
“From Hollywood to London, Shakespeare is once again having a moment. His stories and poetry continue to shape our culture in subtle and profound ways. They connect us by illuminating our most defining experiences: love and loss, rupture and reconciliation,” said fest artistic director Tom Ridgely in a release announcing the new season. “This season is about sharing those riches with more of St. Louis than ever before and celebrating St. Louis’ unique contributions to Shakespeare in America.”
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If you can’t wait until spring has properly sprung to get your Bard fix, you can head to Schlafly Tap Room February 5, 6, 12, & 13 for Boozy Bard’s The Reclaiming of the Shrew, a whiskey-fueled interpretation of The Taming of the Shrew co-hosted by the fest. The season then kicks off with the Confluence New Play Festival from March 19-21 before a collaboration with Albion Theatre on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Written by Tom Stoppard and directed by Ridgely, the play follows two of Hamlet‘s side characters as they navigate the dramatic events that swirl around them.
“After celebrating a record-breaking 25th anniversary, we’re stepping into 2026 with tremendous momentum. This season builds on the energy, ambition, and community support that have shaped the festival over the past 25 years, while continuing to expand what’s possible for Shakespeare in St. Louis,” said festival executive director Kate Tichelkamp. “We’re excited to carry that success forward and to keep creating experiences that bring people together through extraordinary storytelling.”
From May 27 to June 21, the festival will host its annual takeover of Shakespeare Glen, where the main stage will be reinvented once again to bring to life Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Directed by Rick Dildine and featuring Nancy Bell as the sorcerer Prospero, The Tempest is returning to the glen for the first time in two decades.
The fun continues into the second half of the year with the season’s TourCo production, Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by New Jewish Theatre artistic director Rebekah Scallet, and the return of Romeo & Zooliet this fall.
“I am so thrilled to be able to work with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival on this production of Two Gents,” said Scallet in the same release. “I have a deep passion for Shakespeare, and this will be my first opportunity to direct one of his works in St. Louis. This play is also one of my favorites. Though it is one of his earliest works, it is full of hints at what it is to come with amazing comic characters and touching love stories.”
The final production of the season, a Shakespeare in the Streets production dedicated to the Dogtown neighborhood, will take place in 2027, and more details about the brand-new play are to come. Tickets for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead will go on sale to the general public on February 2. Reserved seats and boxes for The Tempest will go on sale in April 2026.
