Great River Shakespeare Festival

09/02/2026

The GRSF board of directors has begun its search for its next artistic director. Applications are being accepted through Friday, September 18. A detailed posting and job description can be found at GRSF.org/employment-2027.

Employment2019 GRSF Company. Photo by Grace Hill. Join Our CompanyThe Great River Shakespeare Festival is Minnesota’s largest professional equity theater outside of the Twin Cities and has enjoyed unprecedented success since the 2004 inaugural season. Employing over 70 people at the peak of the se...

08/05/2026

As reported in this morning's Winona Post, Artistic Director Doug Scholz-Carlson has announced his intention to step down from his leadership role at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in the summer of 2027. You can read the article and the festival's news release on our website grsf.org. Doug's 23-year legacy with GRSF is as inspiring as the art he has created, and we look forward to continued collaborations as we move into a new relationship with him.

Your summer theatre destination, under the bluffs in beautiful Winona MN.

07/26/2026

Today's closing performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream is sold out. The director of the play and GRSF's Artistic Director, Doug Scholz-Carlson recently sat down to talk about how he brought the magic to this year’s play.

Thank you to everyone who saw the production and everyone who has given so much love to this play!
Watch the full interview at grsf.org/midsummer (🔗 in bio) to hear more about the making of the production.

07/26/2026

Final Company Conversation

07/25/2026

What should audiences expect at the Great River Shakespeare Festival? Our actors are here to tell you!

It’s your last chance to see this year’s productions before we bid farewell to the 2026 festival! There is just one performance of Pericles (July 25 at 7 p.m.) left - the final performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Sunday is sold out.

Get tickets in advance at grsf.org or at the door (until sold out). See you there!

07/24/2026

You have ONE WEEKEND LEFT to see these costumes come to life on stage in “Pericles” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”! Costumes were designed by the talented John Ringlien (John Merritt)

Pericles closes Saturday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Midsummer closes Sunday, July 26 at 3 p.m. All performances are held at The ARC in Winona, MN. Get tickets in advance at grsf.org or at the door (until sold out)🎟️

07/24/2026

GRSF is so excited to share that Develyn Jayan has joined the GRSF company and will be performing for the rest of the season as Hermia and Starveling in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Marina in "Pericles". You may recognize her if you've been to a recent show, as she has been performing with the company this season since July 9.

Please welcome Develyn to the GRSF family!

📸: John Ringlien.

07/22/2026

This Week at Great River Shakespeare Festival: 7/22-7/26🎭

It's the last week of the 2026 Great River Shakespeare Festival😢 There are three performances left for both A Midsummer Night's Dream and Pericles. We'd love to see you at one of our closing week performances! Reserve your seat now at grsf.org

Also, a big thank you to everyone who joined us at our Callithump fundraiser last night. The online silent auction is open until 9 p.m. CST on Sunday, July 26. Don't forget to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences: https://givebutter.com/c/grsf/auction

07/21/2026

Meet the Characters of Pericles🛳️

You have one week left to see our 2026 Company take on Shakespeare’s characters in Pericles, including Thursday’s talk-back performance. After the show, join our acting company for a talk-back on the first floor of The ARC. Hear about the behind-the-scenes of putting on the festival and preparing for Shakespeare’s roles from the performers themselves.

Thursday will be the last talk-back of Pericles - and of the season! Get tickets in advance on grsf.org or at the door (until sold out).

07/20/2026

It's your last chance to get advance tickets for Callithump! Don’t miss our annual fundraiser TOMORROW Tuesday, July 21, at 7 p.m. at The ARC, featuring a hilarious, boisterous variety show starring our 2026 acting company. Arrive up to one hour early to enjoy food and community at the 1st floor bar before the show.

In addition to the show, there will be various fundraising activities during the event. Here's what you could win:
🎭 Celebrate Winona prizes - which are gift certificates to several local businesses - will be given away as raffle winnings. Raffle tickets are available in the lobby before the show and at intermission. Drawings will happen sporadically throughout the evening.
🎭 Oberon's Helmet from A Midsummer Night's Dream (auctioned live)
🎭 Bottom's bejeweled ears from A Midsummer Night's Dream (auctioned live)
🎭A Greek Dinner for up to 8 people catered by Gary Diomandes (auctioned live)
🎭The GOLDEN TICKET - two tickets to ANY and EVERY ticketed event held by GRSF in 2027 - will be auctioned off. With this GOLDEN TICKET, you could see every performance of every play all season long.

There are still a few seats left for the event of the year - get your tickets online now to secure your seat or get tickets at the door (until sold out). https://grsf.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/patronticket__publicticketapp #/events/a0SUO0000039NV82AM