BriLynn Asia is both a painter and children’s book illustrator who was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. She has always been obsessed with the idea of beauty and the things that are known to signify beauty of the “black culture”, such as hairstyles, fashion, makeup, and nails. In her most recent years of both painting, she gravitated towards creating imagery that symbolizes or represents hair—specifically African American hair. BriLynn creates her bodies of work based on her identity and the community that surrounds her. Her work entails bright, chroma-colored subject matter that is meant to quickly catch the eye. Within the last two years, BriLynn illustrated two children’s books titled, You Are Somebody and I Told the Storm. BriLynn received her training throughout Missouri, attending four universities. Starting off at the Kanas City Art Institute, she majored in Illustration (2014), but ended with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art and Art History at Lindenwood University (2019). Her studies included various studio courses such as printmaking, painting, sculpture, ceramics, digital design, and more. She has been in local exhibitions in the St. Louis region, and she also does commissions such as murals and portrait paintings. @xpainteddreams

Lynn Berg clowned around New York City for 20 years, performing in the New York Clown Theatre Festival as Awful Knofel, the world’s greatest dareclown, A-pie-colypse, the world champion pie fighter, in Icetacles, The Last Chance of a Lifetime and in the award-winning and internationally-acclaimed Bouffon Glass Menajoree.  Lynn wrote and played Arlecchino in the commedia dell arte play Saint Arlecchino and played Launce in The Two Gentleman of Verona for his MFA role at the University of Louisville.  He studied improvisation with Armando Diaz and clown, bouffon and physical comedy with Sue Morrison, Giovanni Fusetti and David Shiner.  

Claudia Brownlee is a costume designer from the Washington Metropolitan area, where she was first introduced to costuming as a student at Duke Ellington School of Arts (Washington, DC). Claudia is currently the costume manager and designer at the Center of Creative Arts, COCA, and previously with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival costume designed “Such Sweet Thunder”. Before coming to St. Louis she free-lanced as a costume designer and worked with theaters like Anacostia Playhouse, Studio Theater, The Washington National Opera, and WolfTrap Opera, and in Film. Claudia holds an associate’s degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a B.A. in Theater from the University of Maryland College Park. This fall, Claudia will begin her M.F.A. in Costume Design from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.

Mo Burns is a St. Louis based comedy writer and performer. His a regular performer at the Improv Shop, and his writing has appeared in College Humor and Points in Case, among others.

Bold, ethereal, rich in whimsicality, a nouveau artist with a modern queer sensual twist. These are just a few words to describe The Rusty Artist’s work. Tiélere Cheatem is a daring artist whose vibrant and emotionally charged oil paintings showcase the beauty of expression through the male form. Cheatem’s artistic career has quickly grown popularity, leaving a lasting impression across the United States, Canada, and the UK. A St. Louis native, and contributor to the local Theatre scene. Cheatem was awarded Best in Show with the Metro Trans Umbrella Group’s (MTUG) art show and has had work appear in productions such as The St. Louis Actor’s Studio’s Predilections, Rebel & Misfits Productions’ Macbeth: Come Like Shadows, Community Arts Festival Live at The Grandel, and Fly North’s world premiere of The Gringo. Follow his work on Instagram and Facebook @rutsyartist.

Audrey Crabtree was the founder/director of the International NY Clown Theatre Festival where she performed in in cabarets, events,  Icetacles, The Last Chance of a Lifetime and in the award-winning and internationally-acclaimed Bouffon Glass Menajoree.  She co-starred in the  non-verbal clown show, Flocked in NY as well as touring in Mexico and Colombia. She played Juliet in college, Phoebe in As You Like It, at Gorilla Theater, and Gertrude in Crawling Between Heaven and Earth, a revised version of Hamlet set in the dust bowl, where she also directed a bouffon version of the  travelling troupe of players. Audrey was the clown director for the Spanish Language version of La Strada, which won multiple awards internationally.   Since 2007, she worked in social clowning with Big Apple Circus’ Clown Care in NYC, toured with Clowns Without Boarders and is currently Dr Pepper in Circus Flora’s own, Clowns On Call.

Laura Coppinger is a performance artist based in St. Louis, Missouri. With her unique brand of immersive entertainment, Laura loves engaging crowds of all ages around the country where no topic is off limits! She’s an accomplished host, singer, character actor, ukulele player, stilt walker, body paint artist, and all around goof ball. While she loves performing, she also takes great pride in managing and supporting local/national artists by making space for emerging artists to spread their wings. She’s been chewing the scenery since 2006, and looks forward to this unique opportunity to collaborate with Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and Needy Paws Dog Rescue!

Jessie Donovan is a St. Louis based artist, working primarily in printmaking and drawing. Her practice explores topics of categorization, language, and our perception of scientific truth. Research in printmaking, linguistics, literature, and computer science, help inform and influence her art practice. She has exhibited in multiple solo and group shows, served as guest curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, was awarded the Sister City Exchange Residency Award in Stuttgart, Germany and most recently was invited to be a panelist during the St. Louis Art Museum’s “If It Wasn’t for the Women” event.

Tyler Harris, known as E7tash, is an artist from St. Louis who is a middle school art teacher, graphic designer and illustrator. His style is heavily influenced by comic books and street art. His vivid use of color and style are highly expressive. His work deals with his take on spirituality and representation of different cultures within art. He works with a wide variety of mediums.

Kyla Hawkins is a visual artist born & raised in Saint Louis, MO. I specialize in painting, drawing, and graphic art. I love using vibrant colors in my artwork to convey emotion and draw the eye’s attention. I’ve had the beautiful opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries in Chicago, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. If I had to categorize my creations, the term “Pop Surrealism” would be the best fit. The main goal with my artwork is to bring awareness to mental health and social justice; specifically within the black community. I create artwork for those that want to see color within the world. With each brush stroke I am painting my truth.Khawkins Kreations LLC @KhawkArt2.0

Britteny Henry is back at Shakes Fest, and excited to spend the remainder of the summer in Forest Park!
She was most recently seen at schools in STL and around MO in Cymbeline, as a member of the 2020 Educational Tour Co. Britteny has toured all over STL/MO steadily for the past several years with: Metro Theatre Company (New Kid), St. Louis Shakes Fest (2017 & 2020 Ed Tour), Reedy Press (Do You Know MO?), and as The Tooth Fairy in Delta Dental’s Land Of Smiles Tour. Black Lives Matter.
Britteny’s most recent in-person credits include: The Nasty Interesting Man (Eurydice), Goneril (King Lear), and the Director of Ntozake Shange’s ‘For Colored Girls…’ for Independent Theater Co., a company for which she is also the Artistic Director. Hi Mom!

Mary Heyl is a St. Louis native and has fond memories of seeing the productions of Shakespeare in the Park growing up. Even though this year has been full of the unexpected, she is thrilled to be bringing some Theatre back to the St. Louis community. Recently, Mary was seen as Posthumous/Cloten in TourCo’s production of Cymbeline. She is a proud cast member of Comedy Sportz STL and a production assistant for Theatre Unlimited at the Jewish Community Center. Some other favorite roles include Cassio in Othello (Festival 56), and Marmee in Little Women (Festival 56). Welcome back to the park!

Eleanor Humphrey is an actor and arts educator with over twelve years of vocal and stage performance experience. She graduated from Saint Louis University in 2014 with a B.A. in English and a Minor in Music.  As an educator, she has taught music theory, theater, vocal technique, choral direction, and culinary arts to students of all ages since 2014.

Currently, Eleanor also directs choir for Marian Middle School, teaches multiple residences in theater and culinary arts for the Center of Creative Arts and Stages St. Louis, and works as an actor in various stage productions and children’s theatre in the St. Louis community.

Keating is a theatre artist in St. Louis. Keating is the Co-Artistic Director of Poor Monsters and the Communications Director at ERA. They are so excited to be back at SFSTL after performing in Love’s Labors Lost in the park this past summer, and Into The Breeches in 2018. Recently, they appeared in Whammy (YoungLiars) and Well (Mustard Seed Theatre). Keating created and directed Classic Mystery Game (SATE) and Or What You Will, The Third (Poor Monsters). Much love to Janet and Freddie!

Nicholaus Lawery (IG: @nick_lawery) is a nartist born and raised in the city of St. Louis. He works with marker and pencil, and is also a painter and photographer.

Gina Malone is thrilled to participate in this year’s A Late Summer Night’s Stroll, with OTSL and Shakespeare St. Louis.  She has a background in classical, contemporary, and jazz music as well as being a private voice instructor.  Her most recent roles include Paquette in Candide, The Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel, Emmie in Albert Herring, and Peep-Bo in The Mikado. As a concert soloist, she’s appeared with the Masterworks Chorale, the Bach Society of St. Louis, and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.  Gina holds a Bachelor of Music Ed. from Greenville University and teaches voice at the Webster Community School.

Alicen Moser is the Co-Artistic Director of Poor Monsters, and life-long fan of Shakes Fest! She recently appeared in-person in District Merchants at New Jewish Theater, Antigone with ERA, and Equivocation at West End Player’s Guild. More recently, Alicen performed virtually as Irina in ERA’s MOSCOW! and again with Poor Monsters for Shake 20, but she is thrilled to be (safely!) performing live again. Much love to Sadie and Kramer.

Carl Overly, Jr is a full time artist living in St. Louis. He is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful Stroll with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. His most recent credits include, Chebutykin in ERA virtual production of MOSCOW!, Coach in Metro Theater Company’s production of “Ghost” and Wolf in St Louis Black Repertory Theater production of “Two Trains Running”. Carl has worked with SATE, Upstream Theater, Insight Theatre, West End Players Guild, Unity Ensemble Theater, Solid Lines Productions, Mustard Seed Theater, Magic Smoking Monkey, among others. His directing credits include MotherFu&@$er with the Hat (R-S Theatrics), Anansi the Spider (The Black Rep touring company), Baby Black Jesus(Q Collective) and Assistant Director for We are the Levisons at The New Jewish Theater. He was a producer for The Every 28 Hour Project(2015 and 2016). Carl was named a Rising Leader of Color by Theater Communications Group(TCG) in 2018 and is a 3 time St Louis Theater Circle Award winner. Carl is a teaching artist with Prison Performing Arts and COCA. Carl is a part of the EMC Program #representationmatters

Brock Seals is an artist & musician based in St. Louis, Missouri. His work has been exhibited nationwide at venues including Contemporary Art Museum, Shaw Art Fair, St. Louis, Missouri; Art Basel, Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, California; Art & Soul Fair, Houston, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri. Seals’ also curates an annual “Art, Mimosas & Pancakes” exhibition for emerging & professional artists. He received an Associate’s degree in Fine art from STLCC Florissant valley and a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Department of Art and Design at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. Seals custom shoes have been seen on the feet of professional NFL players, Celebrities and MLB athletes such as St. Louis Cardinals Harrison Bader, Erykah Badu (singer), Smino  (rapper) & Nipsey Hussle.

Leann Schuering is delighted to be making her debut with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival in A Late Summer Night’s Stroll! Leann is a classical singer, theatrical performer, and voice educator. Recent credits include Candide, H.M.S. Pinafore, Albert Herring, and Doubt with Union Avenue Opera; Die Fledermaus and The Merry Widow with Winter Opera Saint Louis, and the workshop of Awakenings at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. She also performs with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as well as The Kingsbury Ensemble, an early music ensemble in St. Louis. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in 2014 with a DMA in Voice, and currently teaches voice at Webster University. More at www.leannschuering.com.

As one of the co-founders of Painted Black STL, Jayvn is passionate about the intersection of creativity and positive impact in St. Louis. Jayvn is also a graduate of the Community Arts Training Institute and Vice President of AIGA St. Louis.

Sherelle Speed also known as the art doll is a full-time self-taught artist and St. Louis native that has been following a passion for art for since 2014. Taking negative images and molding them into beautiful positive pieces feeds her creative energy. She brings creativity to life from dreams and visions onto canvases with a signature style of faceless paintings. She drew inspiration for the faceless paintings with the viewer in mind so they can see themselves in the art. Sherelle has been active in showcases and festivals including New York City’s Pancake & Booze and Chicago’s Art Beats. In 2017 her popularity grew from her Basquiat rendition of a 14ft pink floral & skeleton mural in Paint Louis. She’s also held a solo exhibit at the Exodus Gallery and had art on display with a live presentation at the Schlafly library. Her goal is to be featured in galleries worldwide and to become legendary like her favorites Frida Kahlo and Basquiat.

Michael Tran is thrilled to be returning to Shakespeare Festival St. Louis for A Late Summer’s Night Stroll. He previously worked with SFSTL in 2018 where he was in the staged reading of ‘The Thousand Natural Shocks’ directed by Kern McFadden as part of the festival’s In the Works program. Michael is filled with excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to create art during this time with a company that he admires greatly. Much love and thanks to his friends, his family, Adam, and WebCo’s CHOP for their support and guidance. Michael is currently pursuing a BFA in Acting at Webster University’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts. @michael.thanh.tran / tranmichael.com