GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
121 EAST THIRD STREET, WINONA, MN 55987 www.grsf.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO CREATE DYNAMIC, CLEARLY-SPOKEN PRODUCTIONS OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS TO ENRICH PEOPLE'S LIVES. IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION, GRSF ENGAGES AND SUSTAINS A HIGHLY-SKILLED COMPANY OF THEATER PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING EQUITY ACTORS.

CREATION OF ART: DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, GRSF POSTPONED LIVE IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE UNTIL 2021. REGARDLESS, ART WAS CREATED TO ENRICH THE COMMUNITY. IN DECEMBER, GRSF PRESENTED READINGS OF HOLIDAY STORIES AT A LIVE EVENT. THEY WORKED WITH PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR LISA WOLPE TO CREATE A NEW ADAPTATION OF THE TAMING OF THE SHREW SET IN A 1950S COUNTRY BAR WITH MOST OF THE CHARACTER GENDERS REVERSED. COSTUME, SET, SOUND, AND LIGHTING DESIGNS AS WELL AS CASTING WERE COMPLETED FOR UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS OF THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, THE TEMPEST, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, AND EVERY BRILLIANT THING. A ONE-ACT PLAY WAS COMMISSIONED FROM ANTONIO DUKE CALLED FOLLOW THE RIVER ABOUT THE AFTERMATH OF THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD. AN ONLINE DEVELOPMENTAL PROCESS CONCLUDED IN A PUBLIC READING FOLLOWED BY AUDIENCE FEEDBACK. A NEW PLAY BY BRIAN WHITE, IS NOT THAT STRANGE, WAS DEVELOPED AND READ FOR A LIVE ONLINE AUDIENCE. THE COMPANY ALSO CREATED A LIVE BROADCAST OF GREAT SPEECHES FROM SHAKESPEARE FEATURING PAST COMPANY MEMBERS PERFORMING IN THEIR OWN HOMES. COMPANY MEMBERS GATHERED INFORMALLY ON WEEKLY ZOOM MEETINGS TO READ PLAYS FOCUSING ON WORK BY BLACK AND INDIGENOUS AMERICAN WRITERS. FROM THESE PLAYS WILL COME FULLY STAGED PRODUCTIONS IN 2021 AND BEYOND.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: GRSF MOVED AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ONLINE FOR ITS FESTIVAL SEASON. THIS INCLUDED SEVEN WEEKLY GATHERINGS WHICH FOCUSED ON PERFORMANCE OF NEW WORK AND AUDIENCE FEEDBACK, A PANEL DISCUSSION ADDRESSING RACE IN THE THEATER LED BY BLACK AND LATINX COMPANY MEMBERS, A VARIETY SHOW, AND PRESENTATIONS FROM YOUTH PARTICIPATING IN THEIR EDUCATION PROGRAMS. ATTENDANCE AVERAGED 86 UNIQUE HOUSEHOLDS PER EVENT. ADDITIONALLY, GRSF SENT WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS TO 5700 SUBSCRIBERS. A NEW FEATURE, ASK GRSF, ALLOWED AUDIENCES TO POSE QUESTIONS WHICH WERE ANSWERED BY VARIOUS COMPANY MEMBERS VIA A BLOG THAT WAS PROMOTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. TOPIC EXPLORED INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: COLOR-BLIND VS. COLOR-CONSCIOUS CASTING CHOICES; PRODUCING PLAYS BY AUGUST WILSON; OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE; RESPONDING TO THE CURRENT SOCIAL CLIMATE - JUSTICE, FORGIVENESS, LETTING GO OF FEAR; TICKET PRICING; INTERN COMPENSATION; COSTUME PURCHASE VS. CONSTRUCTION; AND ALTERING THE TIME, SETTING, AND CHARACTER GENDER IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS.

EDUCATION: FOR THE SUMMER OF 2020, THE APPRENTICE ACTOR TRAINING PROGRAM AND THE TECHNICAL THEATER AND MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WERE UNABLE TO BE CONDUCTED BEYOND RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. YOUTH CLASSES PIVOTED FROM IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION TO ONLINE LEARNING. TEACHING ARTISTS WERE ABLE TO INSTRUCT FROM THEIR HOMES, AND BECAUSE OF WIDESPREAD UNEMPLOYMENT, MANY MORE ARTISTS WERE AVAILABLE TO INSTRUCT THE 29 STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM PROVIDING UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS. THREE ONE-WEEK PROGRAMS WERE TAUGHT TO YOUTH AGED 5-11 FOCUSING ON BODY MOVEMENT, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, AND INTERPRETATION OF TEXT. THREE THREE-WEEK COURSES WERE GIVEN TO 12-18 YEAR OLDS - SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG ACTORS, SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG DESIGNERS, AND SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG FILMMAKERS. EACH COURSE CULMINATED IN A PUBLIC SHARING ONLINE OF THE STUDENT LEARNING, INCLUDING DESIGN PRESENTATIONS, PERFORMANCES, AND A STUDENT FILM.

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