Great River Shakespeare Festival 

About

"An essential part of summer in Minnesota" - Talkin' Broadway

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears

This nationally recognized festival, which draws audiences from across the Midwest and acclaimed actors from across the country, fills each Winona summer with a full slate of world-class entertainment. With plays, music, speakers and celebration events, the Great River Shakespeare Festival is the cornerstone of Winona’s reputation as an unmatched destination for cultural events.

June 25-July 28, 2024

HAMLET

Directed by Doug Scholz-Carlson

Starring Tarah Flanagan as Hamlet

June 25 – July 27, 2024

For centuries, women have played the role of Hamlet deepening the understanding of this troubled Prince of Denmark. Although there is a 12th Century Danish legend that Hamlet was actually a woman raised by her mother as a man in order to preserve her claim to the throne, Tarah and Doug have decided to play Hamlet in this production as a man. See below a brief gallery of famous female actors who have tackled this role.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Directed by Gaby Rodriguez

Featuring local, youth actors as The Watch

June 26 – July 28, 2024

We are excited to welcome Gaby back to Great River Shakespeare Festival where she was an assistant director in 2017 and 2018. During the 2020 pandemic season, Gaby directed an online reading for GRSF audiences. Gaby’s vision of Much Ado about Nothing includes enlisting area youth to play The Watch. She commented that like The Watch, children see everything, and if we would only listen to them, our lives would be much less complicated. She likens The Watch to the youth in her native Cuba who would travel from home to home checking for standing water that could breed mosquitos.

Location:

DuFresne Performing Arts Center (on the WSU Campus)
450 Johnson Street, Winona MN 55987

Tickets are now on sale.