In just a few weeks, Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park will come alive once again as St. Louis Shakespeare Festival kicks off its 24th season with “As You Like It.”
“As You Like It,” written and first performed more than 400 years ago, is a Shakespearian comedy that follows Rosalind and her friends, who’ve been exiled to the forest, as they explore new identities, friendships and, of course, love.
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s mainstage production will be under the direction of Nancy Bell and feature live music and new songs from local singer-songwriter Beth Bombara.
“It’s such a great fit for the park, as most of the play takes place in the Forest of Arden. What better place to do that than Forest Park?” said Tom Ridgely, producing artistic director of St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. “There’s also Rosalind, the largest female role that Shakespeare ever wrote. She is – in a lot of ways – a fully realized female character. Yes, there’s Juliet, Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth … but Rosalind – because she looms so large over the whole play, more than any other Shakespeare play – you see the world from the perspective of this female protagonist. She’s brilliant, plucky, open and tough and vulnerable at the same time.”
“As You Like It” will begin public performances in Shakespeare Glen on May 29 and will run every night (except on Mondays) through June 23.
The full 2024 season lineup also includes the previously announced Confluence New Play Festival (April 12 to14); TourCo, a free and outdoor public parks tour of “The Tempest,” directed by Ridgely (July 30 to Aug. 25); and the return of “Christmas Carol: The Remix” (Nov. 29 to Dec. 22). The festival’s next Shakespeare in the Streets community storytelling event will take place in 2025 in East St. Louis.
Last season’s production of “Twelfth Night” drew 31,000 people – the greatest attendance in Shakespeare Glen since 2018. Ridgely says the festival continues to attract the largest Shakespeare audiences in the country by continuing to connect with the audience on a more personal level.
“We’ve brought different kinds of artists into the Glen,” he said. “We have more female directors, more directors of color, who have brought their perspective. And because they have brought their perspective, it’s connecting with different audiences. We had a Black King Lear, last year’s play had a mostly Latino cast – and you also begin to see that in the makeup of the audience.”
Another key is making Shakespeare accessible to all.
“People come to Shakespeare sort of intimidated, not able to understand what the actors are saying or what’s happening – it’s like that old experience of trying to read it as a sophomore in high school,” Ridgely said. “But Shakespeare was never meant to be read, it was meant to be spoken and acted. When you see it, as opposed to reading it, when the actors are speaking clearly and making the story come alive, the play speaks to us – we just need to get out of the play’s way.”
Tickets for reserved seating in Shakespeare Glen ($20 to $300) will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13 (Festival member pre-sale begins on Friday, March 8).
“It’s such a privilege for us to be the reason so many people from all over St. Louis can come together to enjoy something beautiful and positive,” Ridgely said. “We can’t wait for the Glen to fill up this summer.”
