Shakespeare Festival Announces Communal Dining

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis has just confirmed new agreements with Butler’s Pantry and the Saint Louis Zoo to provide food and beverages for this year’s production of “Twelfth Night” at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park, it was announced today by executive director Rick Dildine.  The show runs May 24-June 16 (excluding Tuesdays); preview performances are scheduled May 22-23.

The Saint Louis Zoo will be responsible for the concession area located at the top of the hill near the event’s entrance walkway.  Items available will include assorted dollar roll sandwiches served with kettle chips, an antipasto platter of marinated olives and assorted cheeses and sausage, a vegetarian wrap in a spinach tortilla, slow-cooked pulled pork sandwiches, fruit and cheese snack packs, plus nachos and cheese, soft pretzels and cheese, cotton candy, bratwursts and even jumbo hot dogs with sauerkraut.  Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks will also be available for purchase.  A separate drink stand will be located across the walkway.  All stands will accept cash, debit and credit cards.

Bixby’s, Butler’s Pantry own restaurant, located on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum, will also feature an intimate and elegant communal dining experience for six nights throughout the run of the show.  A full-course meal will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays beginning May 30.  Tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance at www.SFSTL.com and will include the cost of the dinner and a reserved seat; a cash bar will be available as well.  Availability is on a first come, first served basis. Butler’s Pantry will also be providing the catering services for the festival’s VIP Hospitality tent throughout the duration of the show.

“We are constantly evaluating how we can provide the best theatrical experience for our audience members and that includes not only what is happening on stage in front of them, but the services available to them both before and during the performances,” Dildine said.  “The Saint Louis Zoo and Butler’s Pantry have decades of experience in food service and catering, and we wanted to bring that experience to Shakespeare Glen for our patrons.”

As in previous years, the pre-show Festival activities will include free pre-performance backstage tours and a nightly Green Show at 6:30 p.m. The pre-show will include a 20-minute adaptation of “Twelfth Night” which will introduce the characters and plot to children of all ages; musicians, dancers, singers, jugglers; and a craft table for kids.

In the past 12 years, the Shakespeare Festival has attracted more than 550,000 people to the performances in Forest Park.  The organization has reached an additional 250,000 students through its educational touring productions, school programs, summer camps, and community partnerships. For more information, please visit www.sfstl.com or call 314/531-9800.