GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL 2021 SEASON

The 2021 season was presented in a park on the Mississippi in Winona ~ with the ever-evolving safety protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic ~ the stage was design from scratch, redesign again due to new safety protocols, redesigned due to the spike of lumber prices, then revised further to clear the final steps for the permit with the city.

THE TEMPEST Beth Gardener, Director | Rebecca Bernstein, Costumes

in repertory with

GREAT EXPECTATIONS Doug Scholz-Carlson, Director | Kyle Schellinger, Costumes

finished design

the venue: Levee Park in Winona, Minnesota ~ our stage was built on top of a 40-year old storm drain, in a public park, next to active railroad tracks, 60 yards from the Mississippi River, and less than 100 yards from an outdoor pub

first design

redesigned due to changing safety protocols

birdseye view with GREAT EXPECTATIONS furniture on stage

birdseye view in THE TEMPEST configuration

audience view with a sense of "the pods," each 7 foot square is for 2 patrons"

birdseye view with updated audience seating and bare drainage block, which our set spanned over

birdseye view with our final set, adjusted due to further constraints impacting the time and material budgets

final design with GREAT EXPECTATIONS furniture on stage and in the moat

final design in THE TEMPEST configuration

final ground plan with 12' singing spacing for the actors

final design of the stage and audience pods

first rehearsals onstage with "Steamboat Days" next door

several rehearsals ~ and performances ~ action paused onstage for passing trains

production photos below are from dress rehearals and early performances, if there were clear skies the setting sun provided a remarkable visual effect against the warm wood. there was no lighting rig for the repertory. later in the run, it was a race to finish the show before dark.

THE TEMPEST

beth gardener, director | rebecca bernstein, costumes