The eighth season plays June 22-July 31. Performances play in repertory at Winona State University's Performing Arts Center in Winona, MN.

GRSF's 2011 season acting company comprises many veterans of past seasons and several performers making their Festival debut. Five-season veteran Tarah Flanagan is cast as Puck and Philostrate in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mistress Quickly in King Henry IV and The Mute in The Fantasticks. Founding company member Jonathan Gillard Daly is cast as Sir John Falstaff in King Henry IV, Egeus in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Henry, the old actor, in The Fantasticks. Minneapolis actor and founding company member Doug Scholz-Carlson is cast as El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Edmund in King Henry IV, and Peasblossom in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Chris Mixon returns to the GRSF stage to play Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bardolph in King Henry IV, and Hucklebee in The Fantasticks. New York City actor Corey Allen plays Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream and is also cast as Northumberland and Douglas in King Henry IV. Returning for a third season, Kate Fonville will play Titania and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Lady Percy in King Henry IV. New York actor Michael Fitzpatrick returns for his sixth season, playing the title role in King Henry IV, Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Bellomy in The Fantasticks. Eight-season veteran Christopher Gerson will play Worcester in King Henry IV, Robin Starveling in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Mortimer in The Fantasticks.

David Coral, Andrew Carlson, Evan Fuller, Stephanie Lambourn, Brian White, and Ryan Fonville return to the GRSF acting company; Chris Sheard, Greg Beam, Ricardo Birnbaum, and Kim McKean join the Festival as Acting Interns.

Paul Barnes, GRSF producing director, directs King Henry IV; Alec Wild, founding company member and GRSF associate director, directs A Midsummer Night's Dream; Melissa Rain Anderson, a New York City-based actress and director with numerous regional theatre credits, directs Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's The Fantasticks, GRSF's second musical production.

GRSF designers Erik Paulson (sets), Lonnie Alcaraz (lights), Meg Weedon (costumes, King Henry IV, Part I) and Devon Painter (costumes, A Midsummer Night's Dream) return to the Festival. GRSF's Interns and Apprentices, who are selected from college and university theatre programs around the country to train with GRSF's professional company, will perform Shakespeare's King Lear in the Winona State University Dorothy B. Magnus Studio Theatre during the last week of the Festival, July 24-31. King Lear will be directed by founding company member Rick Barbour.

For more information, visit www.grsf.org.