Initial casting has been announced for the first three productions of Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2025-2026 season in Washington, D.C.: Merry Wives, The Wild Duck, and Guys and Dolls.
Jocelyn Bioh’s adaptation of Merry Wives, directed by Taylor Reynolds, kicks off the season, running September 9-October 5. The cast will feature Felicia Curry (Into the Woods) and Oneika Phillips (FELA!) as the merry wives themselves, Madame Ford and Madame Page, respectively.
Artistic Director Simon Godwin’s production of Henrik Ibsen's The Wild Duck, adapted by David Eldridge, will be presented October 18-November 16. Nick Westrate will take on the role of Hjalmar Ekdal, an idealistic but disillusioned photographer, opposite Melanie Field as Gina Ekdal, his wife and partner. The production is co-produced with Theatre for a New Audience and will begin its run there before arriving at STC’s Klein Theatre.
A host of musical theatre talent is set for the December 2, 2025-January 4, 2026, production of the classic American musical Guys and Dolls, directed by Washington National Opera Artistic Director Francesca Zambello (The Little Mermaid), with choreography by two-time Tony nominee Joshua Bergasse (Smash). Leading the company of the Frank Loesser musical will be Julie Benko (Funny Girl) as Sarah Brown, Jacob Dickey (Old Friends) as Sky Masterson, Rob Colletti (Almost Famous) as Nathan Detroit, and Hayley Podschun (Wicked) as Miss Adelaide.
The forthcoming season will also include Tony winner Bill Irwin (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) in his one-man show, On Beckett, in the new year, followed by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Neal Street Productions staging of Hamnet, adapted from the best-selling novel by Maggie O’Farrell by Lolita Chakrabarti (Life of Pi, Red Velvet) and directed by Erica Whyman. Closing the season, Godwin will also direct Othello starring Olivier and Tony nominee Wendell Pierce (Death of a Salesman).
Additional casting and creative team members will be announced at a later date.
Visit ShakespeareTheatre.org.
