“Say ya Shakespeare like ya want"

This play, by Carlyle Brown, is based on true events and tells the story of the first Black theatrical troupe in America putting on a production of Richard III, while uptown producer Stephen Price, threatened by the competition, sets about shutting them down at all costs.

Festival favorite Corey Allen (GRSF’s King Lear, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Midsummer) returns to direct this true and uniquely American theatrical story.

“…the personal and the historical, the comic and the angry propels THE AFRICAN COMPANY…theatrical and social concerns entwine with powerful resonances to today…Mr. Brown is a writer with a distinct voice and a powerful story to tell.” —Washington Post.

“Prove true, imagination, O prove true!”

When Viola is washed ashore after a shipwreck, she dons a disguise to serve a lovelorn Duke and delivers his messages to the Countess Olivia, who in turn falls head-over-heels for Viola. Beth Gardiner (GRSF’s The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Servant of Two Masters) brings her special brand of delightful humor and heart-filled storytelling to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night which promises to be a magical evening of mistaken identity, love, yearning and drunken foolery. 

CREATED AND ORIGINALLY DIRECTED BY TED SWINDLEY – BASED ON A TRUE STORY.

“Always…Patsy Cline” is more than a tribute to the legendary country singer who died tragically at age 30 in a plane crash in 1963.  The show is based on a true story about Cline’s friendship with a fan from Houston named Louise Seger, who befriended the star in a Texas honky-tonk in l961, and continued a correspondence with Cline until her death.

The musical play, complete with down home country humor, true emotion and even some audience participation, includes many of Patsy’ unforgettable hits such as Crazy, I Fall to Pieces, Sweet Dreams and Walking After Midnight…27 songs in all.  The show’s title was inspired by Cline’s letters to Seger, which were consistently signed “Love ALWAYS… Patsy Cline.”

July 29 - 31, 2022

THIS SHOW WILL BE PERFORMED AT:

EAST END REC CENTER
210 Zumbro St, Winona, MN 55987

In Winona, if you wander down Broadway from Highway 14 to the Mississippi River, you’ll pass through neighborhoods brimming with vibrant and complex lives.

Those lives have inspired All the Town’s a Stage: A Winona Story. Combining the stories of Winona community members with the characters and language of Shakespeare, this original play explores the question of what it means to belong in Winona.

GRSF is partnering with community members and local artists to co-create this special live event.

Join us as we celebrate, investigate, and honor Winona in a production unlike anything the Festival has done before!

Follow the work of our Community Partner, Sarah Johnson, at The Joy Labs

Tuesday July 26th
from 5pm
(show starts at 7pm)

Don’t miss this audience favorite - one of the hottest tickets in town! Callithump is a ridiculously fun, boisterous and wildly entertaining fundraising show re-envisioned annually and produced by our company members. Tickets go fast, so buy early! The fun starts at 5:00 p.m. with pre-Callithump games, music, and even a dunk tank! Bring a picnic dinner to enjoy on the lawn before the show begins at 7pm.