Nancy Bell is a theatre artist and writer who is grateful to have had St. Louis Shakespeare Festival as an artistic home for more than a decade. She served as Playwright-In-Residence here for six years, serving under Rick Dildine’s leadership as the first playwright for the Festival’s groundbreaking Shakespeare in the Streets program. She was the founding director of the Festival’s Confluence New Play Festival, and the director of Into the Breeches and 2024’s award-winning As You Like It. She is a familiar performer and director at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, as well. Recent credits there include The Roommate, Athena, and Emma. Other credits nationally include New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theatre Club, South Coast Repertory, The Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, among many others. TV and film credits from once upon a time include Star Trek Voyager, Guiding Light, Mad About You, Newsradio, and various Law and Orders. She is Professor of Theatre at St. Louis University.

Kathryn A. Bentley (Alonso) has performance and directing credits with companies including The Repertory Theatre St. Louis, Cleveland Playhouse, Tesseract Theatre, Bread and Roses MO and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. She specializes in developing creative works and building community utilizing inclusive theater practices. Kathi is the Founder of The Alaiyo Collective and the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of Action Arts Collaborative. She serves on the Board of Metro Theater Company and is the Vice President of the Community Arts Training Institute Board of Directors.

Jeff Cummings (Antonio) is thrilled to return to the Shakespeare Glen for THE TEMPEST. Most recently, Jeff appeared as The Player in ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD for St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Other local work includes ROMEO & ZOOLIET and LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST for St Louis Shakespeare Festival; CLUE, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, and BEAUTIFUL for Stages, HAMLET, OSLO, and MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET CHRISTMAS for St. Louis Repertory Theatre, and BEHIND THE SHEET, HOLD ON, and WEDDING BAND for The Black Rep. Regional theatre credits include Brutus in JULIUS CAESAR at Utah Shakespeare Festival, Claudius in HAMLET for Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, and seven seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, highlights include Berowne in LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST, Jack Worthing in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and the Duke of Suffolk in HENRY VI pts 1 & 2. Jeff is also an Audie award-winning audiobook narrator with recorded works by Mark Twain, Dean Koontz, and Philip K. Dick. Jeff dedicates his work on THE TEMPEST to the memory of Gary Wayne Barker.

Michael Doherty (Stephano) has appeared in over 80 regional theatre productions across the country. St. Louis Shakes debut! Off-B’way/Regional: 59E59, Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Rep (Theater Bay Area & Bay Area Critics’ Circle Awards), Milwaukee Rep, Denver Center, Cleveland Play House, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Gulfshore Playhouse, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Connecticut Rep (Connecticut Critics’ Circle nomination), Wilma Theater, People’s Light, Delaware Theater Company, Arden Theatre Company, National Constitution Center, Theatre Horizon (Barrymore Award). TV: Wu Tang: An American Saga (Hulu), Take My Muffin (Toonbox Studios), Los Jarochos (Best Writing, iTV Fest). Podcast: co-creator of Mythic Thunderlute: A D&D Podcast Musical (Broadway Podcast Network). Dogberry & Verges Are Scared, a play he co-wrote with Will Mobley, debuted in the Philly Fringe and will continue its rolling world premiere at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and Edinburgh Fringe this summer. Love to Alex and the cats. IG: @thedohberman www.mikedoh.com

Harrison Farmer (Francisco) is delighted to return to St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. His last time performing in the Glen was in Romeo and Juliet directed by Elena Araoz. Other regional credits: The Ugly Duckling (Imaginary Theatre Company); The Haunting of Breck Theatre, The Great Divide, The Gift of the Magi, The Understudy, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Play That Goes Wrong (Breckenridge Backstage Theatre); King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (American Players Theatre); Suddenly Last Summer (Tennessee Williams Festival); Hamlet (Repertory Theatre of St. Louis); Beauty and the Beast, My Fair Lady (The Muny). Big thanks to his family and especially to his late grandmother Barbara Ritchey for supporting the Arts and inspiring him in many ways.

Michael Grieve (Boatswain/Music Director)  is so thrilled to be in his first production at STL Shakes! Other Shakespeare credits include Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Tempest at Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Other favorite regional credits: Beauty and the Beast (Beast), Disney Cruise Line; Elvis: The Musical (Scotty Moore), Arrow Rock Lyceum; Bright Star (Darryl), Florida Studio Theatre. Original Music Composition credits include: Covenant, Alliance Theater; Cebollas, Denver Center; The Heart Sellers, Seattle Rep. As a graduate from Webster Conservatory, Class of 2017, it is a pleasure to be back in the city of St. Louis. Thank you to Rick Dildine for bringing me along on another adventure and trusting me with this beautiful music. Thankful to work with ongoing collaborator, the brilliant Melanie Chen Cole. Above all, Michael is grateful to get to work alongside his incredibly talented wife, Sigrid Wise.

Crayton Haney (Adrian) is excited to be making his St. Louis Shakespeare Festival debut after graduating with his BFA in Musical Theatre from Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory this past May. Recent Webster performance credits include Roving Accordion in Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; music director, pianist, and accordionist for The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui; and foley artist/percussionist for The SpongeBob Musical. In March, Crayton was an understudy and the assistant music director for The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis’ Ring of Fire, and in July he will be the accordionist for Union Avenue Opera’s Fiddler On the Roof. Crayton is very excited to be ending his year as a piano bar entertainer on the Holland America cruise line! He thanks Vera, Carter, and his parents.

Otto Klemp (Ensemble/Percussion)  (they/them) is ecstatic to be making their St. Louis Shakespeare Festival debut! Favorite credits include Bobby/Clarinet in Cabaret (New Jewish Theatre), Josephine Decker’s newest film, Chasing Summer, and Ensemble/Roving Clarinet in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 (Webster University). Education: BFA from Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory, GradCert Applied Shakespeare from University of Colorado at Boulder. insta: otto.klemp ottoklemp.com

Eliza Pagelle (Ariel) (she/they) is an actor, musician, and teaching artist from Greenville, South Carolina. Their furniture resides in New York City. Off-Broadway: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE (Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical) at Keen Company. Regional: HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING, MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON APT. 2B at The Warehouse Theatre; HAMLET, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Tennessee Shakespeare Company; ELLIS ISLAND at Lean Ensemble Theater/Hilton Head Symphony; Juliet, Viola, Ophelia, Portia, Bianca, Witch, & many more at the Texas Shakespeare Festival. Developmental: OUR FATHER at Irish Rep/Manhattan Theatre Club; ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE at the SC New Play Festival. Film: A Complete Unknown. Music: ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Cast Album streaming everywhere, Eliza is half of a Shakespeare-flavored folk band called UPSTARTCROWS. Training: Fine Arts Center, SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Fordham University, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Juilliard School of Music. Reps: CGF Talent / IG: @elizapagelle / www.elizapagelle.com

Reginald Pierre (Sebastian) is thrilled to be working again with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. He previously appeared in last summer’s Hamlet. He is a St. Louis native, who loves TV, owls, and the San Francisco 49ers. His current passion project is counting down the 81 greatest TV theme songs of all time. Much love to Them Frogs.

Whit Reichert (Gonzalo) is very excited to be joining The Shakespeare Festival for his ninth mainstage production. He was last seen as Verges in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Other productions include THE WINTER’S TALE, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, AS YOU LIKE IT, HAMLET and OTHELLO. Whit has worked with most of the professional theatres in St. Louis including The Muny, Stages, The Black Rep, St. Louis Actors’ Studio, The Variety Club and 27 productions at The Rep. Regionally, he has performed with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, Great Plains Theatre Festival, Fireside Theatre, Casa Manana, The Starlight Theatre, The Riverside Theatre, Great Lakes Festival Theatre, Galveston Grand Opera House, B&B Dinner Theatre and The Little Theatre on the Square. He was recently honored as a St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards nominee for best actor in a drama for Carter Lewis’ play WITH at The St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Whit resides in St. Louis with the love of his life (his wife) Millie Garvey and has been a proud member of AEA for 51 years.

​​José Sabillón (Trinculo) (He/Him) – Born in Honduras and raised in Texas, José has found a wonderful community of people and artists in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St Paul) with whom he is able to exercise his theatre and painting practices. He was onstage most recently in a production of Matthew Lopez’s Somewhere at the Guthrie Theater. José has worked with theatre companies across the Twin Cities including Exposed Brick Theater, Open Window Theatre, Playwrights’ Center, Teatro del Pueblo, Pangea World Theater, Park Square Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company and Guthrie Theater. José is excited and grateful to be making his St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Debut!

Chauncy Thomas (Caliban) is thrilled to return to St. Louis Shakespeare Festival for his sixth production. Originally from Peoria, Illinois, he graduated from Washington University with BAs in Drama and Psychology and currently resides in New York. Selected Credits: Utah Shakespeare Festival: The Winter’s Tale (Leontes), Macbeth (Banquo); Bay Street Theatre: A Raisin in the Sun (Walter Younger), To Kill a Mockingbird (Tom Robinson); Alabama Shakespeare Festival: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oberon), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Present); St. Louis Rep: Clybourne Park (Albert/Kevin); Illinois Shakespeare Festival: Measure for Measure (Angelo), Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Bingley). He has received four St. Louis Theater Circle Award acting nominations: Topdog/Underdog (Booth) at St. Louis Actor’s Studio, Intimate Apparel (George) at New Jewish Theatre, The Glass Menagerie (Jim O’Connor) at The Tennessee Williams Festival, and Much ado About Nothing (Don Pedro) at St. Louis Shakespeare Festival; and one win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for Biff in Death of a Salesman at the St. Louis Black Rep. He’s a member of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival Actor Honor Roll. Television: “Madam Secretary”, “Run the World”.

Zay Williams (Ferdinand) is a graduate from Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre & Dance, Zay is thrilled to be making his St. Louis Shakespeare in the Park debut as Ferdinand in The Tempest! He previously appeared in the 2025 TourCo production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Recent credits include The Comedy of Errors at Utah Shakespeare Festival and Julius Caesar at Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Zay aims to create meaningful experiences that inspire, educate, and uplift audiences. He thanks his family & friends for their love & support!

For over 20 years, Rick has led some of the most prestigious theater companies in America. Today he serves as Artistic Director of the Tony Award-winning Children’s Theatre Company, the largest theater in North America dedicated to creating work for multi-generational audiences. Previously, he served as Artistic Director of Alabama Shakespeare Festival and St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. He’s also led Shakespeare & Company, About Face Theatre, and the Stephen Foster Theater.  He is a member of the National Board of Directors of Theatre for Young Audiences/USA. MFA from Brown University/Trinity Rep. Member, SDC. His directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, and The Tempest. 

CHRISTOPHER SWADER & JUSTIN SWADER (SCENIC DESIGNERS): REGIONAL: The Old Globe, Hartford Stage, Signature Theatre (DC), Goodspeed Musicals, Children’s Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Two River Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Everyman Theatre, People’s Light, Miami New Drama, Resident Ensemble Players at UD, Dorset Theatre Festival, Weston Theater Company, White Plains Performing Arts Center. NYC: Primary Stages, Red Bull Theater, Fiasco Theater, Tectonic Theater Project, Mint Theater, The New Victory Theatre, Classical Theatre of Harlem, York Theatre Company, Trusty Sidekick, Penguin Rep, Mason Holdings. Designs for A$AP Rocky, Sotheby’s, 2020 Summer Olympics, Big Apple Circus, National Geographic. www.cjswaderdesign.com

Jeff Behm (Lighting Design) is a Lighting, Scenic, and Production Designer who specializes in a variety of genres including multi-camera television, live events, concerts, and theatre. His favorite theatre credits include Treasure Island (The Children’s Theatre), Cabaret (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), and The Tempest (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Television credits include So You Think You Can Dance (Emmy Nomination), The Academy Awards, The Kennedy Center Honors, The Academy of Country Music Awards, Adele: One Night Only, Star Search, Dancing with the Stars, and The NFL Draft. Most recently, Jeff has been working closely with Derek Hough to create “Ovation,” a one of a kind dance touring show and competition experience. Jeff received a BFA in Lighting Design from the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and an MFA in Design from the UCLA School of Theatre, where he currently serves as the Interim Head of Lighting. Many thanks to Rick Dildine for the opportunity to bring some theatre magic to his hometown. As always, much love to Alexa, Morgan, & Ballad and go Cardinals!

Melanie Chen Cole (Sound Design) (she/her) is a San Diego based sound designer. St. Louis Shakespeare: debut. Regional theatre credits: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alley Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cleveland Playhouse, Children’s Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Geffen Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Indiana Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, the McCarter, Milwaukee Rep, Northern Stage, The Old Globe, PlayMakers Rep, Seattle Rep, South Coast Rep, Studio Theatre, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Education: MFA in Theatre and Dance from UC San Diego. melaniesound.com, @melaniechencole.

Katherine Stepanek (Props Supervisor) is a scenic and lighting designer whose work spans regional theatre, opera, and higher education. Her designs have been seen at Clarence Brown Theatre, Thunder River Theatre, New Jewish Theatre, and Union Ave Opera, among others. She has received multiple SETC Scenic Design Awards, including first-place recognition for Detroit ’67 and Million Dollar Quartet at Clarence Brown Theatre. This summer, she returns to Shakespeare with Two Gentlemen of Verona for the St Louis Shakespeare Festival’s TourCo. Katherine holds an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Tennessee and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts. She designed the set, props, and lights for St. Louis Shakespeare’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead this spring, and is delighted to be coming back for another production.

Britteny Henry is excited to be spending her sixth season with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Britteny is a Stage Manager, Creator, and a proud member of AEA. Hi Mom!

Colin O’Brien (Producer) is in his twelfth season with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. Favorite productions include Romeo & Zooliet, Hamlet, Q Brothers Christmas Carol, and King Lear. Through his company, Blank Slate, he works as a producer on concerts, parades, and theatrical productions. He serves on the board of Cinema St. Louis, is forklift-certified, and is currently meticulously rewriting, recutting, and redubbing The Lord of the Rings trilogy into Christmas movies for Colin and AJ’s Annual Christmas Party. colinandaj.com

Blank Slate (Producer) is a live events company. In addition to its work with the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, it helps produce many of St. Louis’s favorite events, including Soulard Mardi Gras, Evolution Music Festival, Great Forest Park Balloon Race, Dogtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Taste of St. Louis, Cherokee Street Cinco de Mayo, Delish on Delmar, Grove Fest, and Heritage and Freedom Festival in O’Fallon, MO. @blankslatelive

Sarah Luedloff (Stage Manager) is a St. Louis native and is delighted to return to Forest Park after Romeo & Zooliet, Hamlet, and As You Like It. Other local Stage Management work includes Prayer for the French Republic at the New Jewish Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life- A Live Radio Play and A Christmas Carol at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and 27 shows over 10 seasons at Stages St. Louis. Sarah has also worked with Tuacahn, Riverside Theatre, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, the Playhouse at Westport Plaza, Variety Theatre, The Muny, COCA, Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, and several National Tours. She holds a BFA from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Lize Lewy (Assistant Director) is a New Orleans–born, St. Louis–based playwright, actor, and director. Lewy’s most recent directing credits include the world premiere production of Summer Baer’s Scream, Echo. Scream., Prism’s Spotlight on Emerging Artists Festival, Mother Trucker at the St. Louis Fringe Festival, and more. Their writing has been produced across the nation, and published excerpts can be found in Some Scripts’ literary anthology Monologues by LGBTQIA+ Writers for LGBTQIA+ Actors. They recently made their regional performance debut at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis as Ugly Duckling in The Ugly Duckling (directed by Delaney Piggins) and as Harriet in Emma (directed by Tracy Brigden), for which they received the 2025 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor.