"The play's the thing": Actor and Director Jacqueline Thompson

Scurvy Companions

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on change for everyone in the world, but for actors in particular. Jacqueline Thompson, an actor, director, producer, and professor based in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the first actors taking to the stage as we enter our (hopefully) post-pandemic theatrical space. She will be playing Regan in St. Louis Shakespeare Festival's production of King Lear, premiering this June, starring André De Shields in the title role.

Jacqueline has a rich history of community-engaged classical theater stemming from her involvement with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare in the Streets program and furthered by the Regional Arts Commission's Community Arts Training Program. Her work has earned her accolades like a Visionary Award, which recognizes St. Louis women in the arts, the award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama from the St. Louis Theater Circle, and participation in the Theater Communications Group's Rising Leaders of Color program.

Today, Jacqueline will be talking to us about how to effectively engage with communities through theater, how the pandemic has shaped recent performance, and how to make classical theater accessible to everyone.

You can learn more about seeing Jacqueline in King Lear in St. Louis this summer here. Jacqueline is interviewed by host Emily Jackoway. To learn more about NoSweatShakespeare, check out our site at nosweatshakespeare.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to follow or subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thanks for listening in!