CWE Directory 2026

2026 | Central West End Directory 16 ‘The Show Must Go On’ In May 2025, an EF3 tornado struck St. Louis’s Forest Park, severely damaging the outdoor stage and set for the Shakespeare Festival’s production of Hamlet, part of its 25th season. Despite the destruction, the festival rebuilt the stage and other equipment, and the show opened on time May 28 with its original schedule. “We are grateful that all of our crew made it safely out of Forest Park before the storm passed through,” a spokesperson said shortly after the storm. “There was considerable damage to Shakepseare Glen and the HAMLET set, which was nearing completion. We are proud to be part of a community that comes together in good times and bad.” Later in the summer, the Shakespeare Festival staged another successful event in Forest Park: a new production called ’Zooliet in the Park’ at the Saint Louis Zoo featuring puppets. Visit stlshakes.org for more information about upcoming productions.