Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Announces Cast for Inaugural 'In the Works' Productions

Ben Nordstrom and Kari Ely will play opposite one another in "Into the Breeches!," the headlining production of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' new program titled, In the Works, set for Oct. 28 through Nov. 24, at the Grandel Theatre. Written by George Brant and directed by Nancy Bell, the month-long, ticketed production is the culmination of the Festival's 2018 season.

In addition to "Into the Breeches!," In the Works will include a Saturday matinee family show, "A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness," inspired by the mistaken identity hijinks of "The Comedy of Errors" and written by Bell. Also included are two staged readings of "The Thousand Natural Shocks" by playwright Michael Sáenz. Deep-dive talkbacks and art-making workshops for kids will round out the events.

For a detailed In the Works schedule and to order tickets, please visit www.sfstl.com/in-the-works, or call Metrotix at 314-534-1111. Student tickets to all performances are free with an ID but it is recommended they be reserved in advance. A limited number of "Pay What You Can Nights" are scheduled for the "Breeches!" performances on Nov. 7th and 14th and should also be reserved in advance. Military discounts are available as well.

"One of the things that excited me most about joining the Festival was knowing that it already had plans to make this foray into producing new work alongside the classics of Shakespeare," said Tom Ridgely, executive producer of the Festival. "These plays each capture something beautifully distinct about our current American moment. Like Shakespeare, they show us ourselves, in a way we've never seen before, and I couldn't be more thrilled to share them with St. Louis."

"Into the Breeches!" is a comedy about a fictitious theater group. It's 1942, and with the men away at war, the director's wife sets out to produce an all-female version of "Henry V." She assembles an unexpected cast that showcases how art and comedy can come together in even the darkest times. The play had its critically-acclaimed world premiere in January 2018 at the Tony-winning Trinity Repertory Company. This will be its first production in St. Louis. There will be 16 performances of "Breeches!" throughout the month-long run. Brant, the play's author, also wrote "Grounded," which starred Anne Hathaway during its New York run.

Nordstrom, whose work includes numerous appearances at the Repertory Theatre, the Muny, New Jewish, Stages, among others, also appeared in two plays written by Bell on behalf of the Festival, and in collaboration with the St. Louis Symphony in 2016. Ely, who previously appeared in the Festival's main stage productions of "Henry IV," "Henry V," and "Antony and Cleopatra," has worked for virtually every professional theater company in St. Louis. In addition to Nordstrom and Ely, the "Breeches!" cast will include Gary Wayne Barker, Michelle Hand, Katy Keating, Mary McNulty, Laura Resinger and Jacqueline Thompson.

Gary Wayne Baker will direct the family play, "A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness," Bell's story of resilience, identity and family. Cast members include Erika Flowers, Karl Hawkins, Michael James Reed and Jen Sinnen. "Outrageous" matinee performances are scheduled at 4 p.m. on Saturdays (Nov. 10, 17, 24).

"The Thousand Natural Shocks" tells the story of a high school student who explores his identity through experiences at a private military academy. The title character is encouraged and challenged by his role in the school's production of "Hamlet." Sáenz was commissioned by the Festival to adapt the story from his book of the same title. The story draws inspiration from the It Gets Better Project, which leads a global movement to empower LGBTQ youth worldwide. Webster Conservatory alumnus Kern McFadden will direct. Two staged readings are scheduled at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 7-8.

Set designers Margery and Peter Spack and costume designer Michele Siler will serve as creative team members for both "Into the Breeches!" and "A Most Outrageous Fit of Madness."

Generous support for In the Works is provided by Mont and Karen Levy. Student tickets for 18 and under are free thanks to support from PNC Arts Aliv

Since its inception in 2001, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has surpassed the one million mark in attendance through its work In the Schools, In the Streets and In the Park with more than 800,00 people attending the free main stage productions at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. The organization has reached an additional 300,000 students In the Schools through its educational programming. In 2010, the Festival launched SHAKE 38, a marathon participatory presentation of Shakespeare's entire 38-play canon community wide. In 2012, the Festival shut down its first street, Cherokee, to present a community-based play In the Streets. Leadership support for Shakespeare Festival St. Louis' 2018 season is provided by the Whitaker Foundation. The Festival is also funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Regional Arts Commission, and the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com, or call 314-531-9800.

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