Jada Simone Francis (Silvia/Lucetta) (they/she) is a Bahamian actor, singer, and dancer, currently getting her BFA in Musical Theatre at Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts.. Her professional theatre credits include Peter and the Starcatcher (Molly) at Ozark Actors Theater, while her educational theatre credits include The Rover (Ensemble), Seize The King (Actor 4), (Our Dear Dead Druglord (Squeeze) and Our Town (Si Crowell/Choir). When she is not performing, she can be found singing around her apartment, crocheting, sewing, painting, and doing anything else to fuel the creative energy bubbling up inside of her.

Jayson Heil (Launce) is overjoyed to make his debut with St Louis Shakespeare Festival as a part of TourCo’s Two Gentlemen of Verona! STL Credits: The Ugly Duckling and Dial M for Murder (The Rep), Cabaret, First Date, and All My Sons (New Jewish Theatre), and Pride & Joy (The Midnight Company). 

Jayson is a proud Gorlock and Webster alumni, having received his BFA in Acting from the Sargent Conservatory in 2023. He is forever grateful for the theatre opportunities he’s been granted in St. Louis and is thrilled for his fall move to Chicago! He’d like to thank his family and friends for their undying support.

Otto Klemp (Valentine) (they/them) is thrilled to return to St. Louis Shakespeare Festival shortly after closing The Tempest! 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

Bryce A. Miller* (Speed) is thrilled to be making his Shakespeare Festival debut! Most recently seen at STAGES St. Louis as William Barfèe in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, other local credits include work at New Jewish Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Upstream Theatre among others. Bryce is a proud recipient of 3 nominations, and 1 win at the St. Louis Theatre Circle Awards, and holds a BFA in Acting from Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory. Many thanks to Rebekah, Tom, and everyone involved in making accessible theatre possible in St. Louis. Proud AEA member.

Tristan Wallach (Proteus) Pleased to be working with STLShakes for his first professional production! Tristan is an acting student beginning his fourth year at the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts, where he’ll be graduating with his B.F.A. next May. Educational Credits: Ride the Cyclone (The Amazing Karnak), The Legend of Georgia McBride (Casey/Georgia), The Rover (Belvile)

Sarah Wilkinson* (Julia) is making her St. Louis Shakespeare Festival debut! Regional: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Marcy Park, STAGES St. Louis); The Sound of Music (Ensemble, The Muny). Select professional: An Orchard for Chekhov (Lalá, Upstream Theater); Into the Woods (Rapunzel, Florinda; The New Jewish Theatre); My Heart Says Go (Clara, Tesseract Theatre Company); and Anastasia (Anya, Tesseract Theatre Company). St. Louis Theatre Circle Award for Outstanding Performer in a Musical for Anastasia. A native St. Louisan, Sarah studied the performing arts at COCA and WashU. When not performing, Sarah works as a software engineer. Many thanks to her friends and family for their support! wilkinsonsarah.com @sarahwlknsn923

Camille (Crab) is delighted to make her theatrical debut as Crab with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival! This 11-year-old Miniature American Shepherd is known for her exuberant spirit and sweet nature. When she’s not busy melting hearts, Camille actively competes in Agility and Scent Work, and holds titles in Rally, Obedience, Tricks, and Dock Diving.

Dill (Crab) is a senior German Shepard-Corgi who loves getting pets from everyone, staring into people’s eyes, playing fetch in the living room, and long naps in air conditioning. Dill is thrilled to be joining the STL Shakespeare actors on stage; every performance is the best day of his life! Dill lives with his sister, Tilly the Cat, and his mom, Elly in South City.

Lexi (Crab) is a 7 year old Australian Shepard. Her main job is to joyfully greet everyone she meets. She LOVES attention, being cuddled, petted, enjoys agility and is excellent at catching tennis balls. Lexi is a certified therapy dog for CHAMP, a St. Louis nonprofit whose teams visit facilities to provide joyful connections. Lexi routinely volunteers at Brentwood Library and enjoys the kids during Toddler Story Time. She patiently sits and listens during story time and gets plenty of interaction with the kids.  Lexi has appeared in an online Purina Ad. She resides in St Louis and loves to play with her brother “Cowboy,” a 3 year old Aussie!

Jupiter (Crab) has been a Therapy Dog with Pet Partners of St. Louis since April 2022 and delivers smiles all around the St. Louis area and metro East. In 2025, Jupiter placed 10th across the nation in the Pet Partners Pet of the Year. He has a brother, Ted, who is in training to become a Therapy Dog.

Rocky (Crab) is an 8-year-old Golden Retriever who is thrilled to make his acting debut. After flunking out of service dog school, he found his true calling as a CHAMP Therapy Dog, bringing comfort and smiles to people in schools and medical settings. When he’s not stealing the spotlight, Rocky enjoys eating bananas, soaking up endless pets, and watching the Today show with his mom. He hopes you’ll forgive him if he occasionally improvises—after all, every great actor has their own style! www.champdogs.org

Rebekah Scallet is the Artistic Director of the New Jewish Theatre (NJT), a position she has held since 2022. Credits at NJT include: Cabaret, We All Fall Down and The Immigrant.  Other St. Louis credits include The Roommate at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Moliére’s The Learned Ladies for the Sargent Conservatory at Webster University. Rebekah was also  the Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre for nine years, where she directed many of Shakespeare’s works with some of her favorites being Twelfth Night, King Lear and Macbeth. Other recent credits include The Tempest at the Texas Shakespeare Festival, and The Winter’s Tale for Illinois Shakespeare Festival.  Rebekah received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and English from Brandeis University and her Master of Fine Arts degree in Directing from Illinois State University.

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!

Larry D. Pry (He, Him) has been music directing and teaching voice, piano and musical theater for over 40 years. He’s a nationally recognized vocal coach, music director, clinician, orchestrator and accompanist. He served as the Associate Music Director for the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s CHILDREN OF EDEN. Larry worked as an audition pianist and Publicity Manager for The Muny for 18 years. He served as part of the faculty at Webster University (15 years), St. Louis University (5 years) and Washington University (5 years). Favorite performance venues include Mile High Stadium, The Muny, The Fabulous Fox Theatre and The New Jewish Theatre. Internationally, Larry has performed with the Beach Boys, Charo and many theatrical tours. Larry received the 2024 St. Louis Theatre Circle Award for Outstanding Musical Director for The New Jewish Theatre’s production of INTO THE WOODS. 

Michele Siler returns to the Shakespeare Festival after also having designed Shakespeare In The Streets’ “Winds of Change” as well as Educational Tour shows Cymbeline, Macbeth, A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness and Found At Sea as well as the St. Louis Theater Circle nominated Into the Breeches! Recent St. Louis credits include Prayer for the French Republic, Cabaret (St. Louis Theater Circle Honoree) The Heidi Chronicles (St. Louis Theater Circle Nominee) for New Jewish Theatre, Flyin’ West for The Black Rep, Stellaluna for the Rep’s Imaginary Theatre Company, The Rose Tattoo, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire for TWStL, The Nerd and The Sound Inside for Moonstone Theatre, Life is a Dream (St. Louis Theater Circle Nominee), Myth of the Ostrich for Upstream Theater and Blithe Spirit, Waiting for Godot for St. Louis Actors’ Studio. Michele was named “Best St. Louis Costume Designer” in the 2016 Post- Dispatch GO! List and named a 2022 “Unsung Hero” by the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Katherine Stepanek 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 is thrilled to be joining St Louis Shakespeare Festival for another production, after designing scenic, lighting, and props for Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, as well as designing props for The Tempest.

John Wilson (Fight and Intimacy Coordinator) is the Senior Director of Cultural Arts at the J and has provided dialect coaching and fight and intimacy direction for 12 previous NJT productions as well as Romeo and Juliet at Winter Opera St. Louis. He recently appeared in NJT’s Prayer for the French Republic and Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville (STL Theater Circle Award nomination).  He taught performance courses for 20 years while chairing the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Central Missouri. He was the fight director in residence for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre for a decade and has over 50 acting credits in commercials, films, television and on stage. He is the current on camera and voice-over spokesperson for Communication Federal Credit Union out of Oklahoma City.