Great River Shakespeare Festival

44°03′08″N 91°37′58″W / 44.05219305278904°N 91.63287993053457°W / 44.05219305278904; -91.63287993053457

GRSF 2015 season closing ceremony on the set of "Much Ado About Nothing"
GRSF 2015 company greeting the audience at the Winona State University Performing Arts Center

The Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) is a professional equity theatre company in Winona, Minnesota, a Mississippi River town in the southeastern part of the state. Starting in 2004, it has produced several simultaneous performances each summer, held at the Winona State University DuFresne Performing Arts Center, with annual audiences of over 10,000. Starting 2026, GRSF's performances will take place in Winona's historic Masonic Temple. Its 2025 season runs from June 26 to July 27.[1]

GRSF has been described as "a cornerstone of Winona’s reputation as an unmatched destination for cultural events".[2] The festival features many artistic, musical, and other events, such as an annual sonnet contest with entries from around the world. Additionally, Company Conversations, weekly talkbacks with company members, are hosted Sundays at Blooming Grounds Coffee House in downtown Winona.

GRSF also offers educational opportunities, especially for youth. Youth classes are offered for grades 7-12, titled Shakespeare for Young Actors (SYA), Shakespeare for Young Designers (SYD), and Shakespeare for Young Filmmakers (SYF). For grade school students, GRSF offers a half-day workshop called Will’s Creative Drama (Age 4-Grade 2) and a full day, week long class known as Will’s Power Players (Grades 3-6). Scholarship opportunities, made possible through donors, are available for these courses. For adults, the Great River Collegium group organizes to study the plays being performed that season.[3]

Near the end of every season, GRSF company members produce a one-night performance known as Callithump, "a ridiculously fun, boisterous and wildly entertaining"[4] fundraiser and variety show. Typical acts include singing, skits, and more. Additionally, the event hosts an auction where costume and set pieces are commonly auctioned off. Company members who participate in this show are colloquially known as "Thumpians". Before the show, pre-Callithump is held outside the Performing Arts Center; this often includes a dunk tank and other carnival-esque attractions.


Professional company productions


The following Shakespeare shows have yet to be produced mainstage by the Great River Shakespeare Festival:

Performances by acting apprentices and production interns

Shakespeare for Young Actors

Shakespeare for Young Actors, abbreviated as SYA, is a two-week workshop for students in grades 7-12. The program aims to teach students skills used in the professional acting industry, particularly in the understanding, analysis, and interpretation of Shakespearean texts (see scansion).[6]

This program began in 2010, and has performed the following shows:

*Included designs by Shakespeare for Young Designers

Shakespeare for Young Filmmakers short films

Response to COVID-19

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 season was cancelled. Many events took place online via Zoom, including Shakespeare for Young Actors & Designers' presentation Shakespeare Everywhere. These online events are sometimes referred to as "season 16½". Additionally, this postponement/cancellation caused a shift in the naming of each season; before the pandemic, seasons were referred to by number (ex. season 15 of GRSF), and are now named after the year in which the season takes place (ex. the 2024 season of GRSF).

The shows slated for 2020 were instead performed in the 2021 season. This season took place almost entirely outdoors; this decision was made in January of 2021, before the restrictions around indoor gatherings were eased.[7] The festival's performances took place in Levee Park, a public park next to the Mississippi River, on a stage built specifically for the season. Several performances were cancelled due to weather concerns (including air quality problems due to smoke from eastern wildfires).

References

  1. ^ "GRSF Homepage". Great River Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Great River Shakespeare Festival". Visit Winona. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Education Opportunities". Great River Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  4. ^ "2023 Season". Great River Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  5. ^ "2026 Season Announcement". Instagram. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Classes (Youth and Adult)". Great River Shakespeare Festival. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ "In Winona, it's Shakespeare like Will himself did it – outdoors, rain or shine". StarTribune. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
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