GREAT RIVER SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

As filed

Subsection

03

NTEE code

A65

Classification

1000

Street

PO BOX 377

These codes are the IRS's own and are shown exactly as filed. What each one means is in the Business Master File documentation (opens in a new tab).

Mission and programs · 2024

• CREATION OF ART: GRSF PRODUCED THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, ROMEO AND JULIET, AND PRESENTED A GRADUATE STUDENT PRODUCTION OF THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA. PERFORMANCES TOTALED 36 OVER THE FIVE-WEEK PERIOD FROM JUNE 26-JULY 27, 2025. REHEARSALS, SET CONSTRUCTION, AND PROP & COSTUME CREATION OCCURRED DURING THE FIVE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PERFORMANCES. ATTENDANCE FOR THE THREE PLAYS WAS 5,048. THIS WAS A SLIGHT DECLINE FROM TOTAL ATTENDANCE IN 2024. THE PRODUCTION OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS INCLUDED SECTIONS ATTRIBUTED TO SHAKESPEARE FROM THE PLAY SIR THOMAS MORE WHICH HIGHLIGHTED THE PLIGHT OF THE "STRANGER." THIS FIT THE CONTEXT OF BOTH THE ORIGINAL PLAY AND OUR OWN SITUATION IN THE USA. ROMEO AND JULIET WAS DIRECTED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE NURSE WHO PROVIDED THE CHORUS NARRATION AS WELL AS REMAINED ON STAGE THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE MEMORY PLAY. HER OMNIPRESENCE ON STAGE HELPED THE AUDIENCE SEE THEMSELVES (THE MAJORITY BEING ADULTS) IN THE TRAGIC STORY OF THESE YOUNG LOVERS. ONE AUDIENCE MEMBER EXPRESSED, "I'M ADDICTED TO THE CREATIVITY [OF THIS COMPANY]." CRITICS WROTE: "UNFORTUNATELY, THE IDEAS OF DIVISION AND EXCLUSION ARE EXTREMELY RELEVANT AND RELATABLE RIGHT NOW, AND IT FEELS HEALING AND HOPEFUL TO WATCH THESE TWO EXAMPLES OF A WAY OUT AND THROUGH TO MORE CONNECTION, ACKNOWLEDGING OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND "IT'S ONE OF THE BEST PRODUCTIONS OF ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCED PLAYS OF SHAKESPEARE'S THAT I'VE SEEN."

  Expenses $579,064 · Revenue $128,735

• AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: THE FESTIVAL HOSTED FOUR POST-SHOW DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CAST AND AUDIENCE MEMBERS. AUDIENCES WANTED TO EXPLORE THE CLEVER CREATION OF CHARACTERS IN THE COMEDY OF ERRORS USING RECORDED VIDEO, PUPPETS, AND THE SAME ACTOR PLAYING THEIR OWN TWIN. THEY ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT THE VIOLENCE "MASTER AND "SERVANT" RELATIONSHIPS AND HOW THAT IS PERCEIVED IN OUR MODERN WORLD. FOR ROMEO AND JULIET, THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DECISION TO APPROACH THE SHOW AS A MEMORY PLAY AND HOW THE SHOW REFLECTS THE POLARIZATION IN OUR PRESENT SOCIETY. TO THAT END, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO BRING 400 YEAR-OLD TEXTS INTO MODERN LIFE WITH A RECOGNITION THAT EMOTIONS SUCH AS GRIEF AND LOVE ARE STILL EVERPRESENT. ADDITIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDED FIVE SUNDAY MORNING PANEL DISCUSSIONS AT A LOCAL COFFEE HOUSE. EACH FEATURED A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THEATRICAL PRODUCTION AND VARIED MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY. AIRED ON FACEBOOK LIVE, EACH PANEL TOOK QUESTIONS FROM THE LIVE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS ONLINE PARTICIPANTS. DEDICATED PERFORMANCES WERE SET UP AS "FIDGET FRIENDLY AND TWO PERFORMANCES WERE TRANSLATED IN AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND AUDIO DESCRIBED FOR THE DEAF.

  Expenses $64,340 · Revenue $14,304

• EDUCATION: THREE COURSES WERE OFFERED: WILL'S CREATIVE DRAMA (FOR AGES 4 - 2ND GRADE), WILL'S POWER PLAYERS (FOR 3RD - 6TH GRADE), AND SHAKESPEARE FOR YOUNG ACTORS (FOR 7TH - 12TH GRADE). TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF 38 STUDENTS. ALL OF THE CLASSES WERE TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF MEMBERS OF THE ACTING COMPANY AT THE FESTIVAL. A 90-MINUTE PRODUCTION OF TWELFTH NIGHT (CREATED AND PERFORMED BY THE 7TH - 12TH GRADERS) WAS PRESENTED TO AN AUDIENCE OF 200 FAMILY MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. SEVEN STUDENTS RECEIVED FULL OR PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT IN 2025, THE SAME NUMBER AS IN 2024. EVERYONE WHO REQUESTED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED IT. ENROLLMENT FOR THE YOUNGER-AGED PROGRAMS WAS DOWN FROM LAST YEAR. SEPARATELY, THE FESTIVAL RAN A FRIDAY AFTERNOON PROGRAM, CHILL WITH WILL, THAT FEATURED A THEATRICAL WORKSHOP PAIRED WITH A PERFORMANCE OF ONE OF THE TWO MAINSTAGE SHOWS. THIS ACTIVITY, FREE FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS, ATTRACTED 58 YOUTHS OVER FOUR WEEKS. WORKSHOPS FOCUSED ON STAGE COMBAT, CLOWNING, CREATING TWINS ONSTAGE USING THE SAME ACTOR, AND EXPLORING THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE AND GRIEF.

  Expenses $23,421 · Revenue $11,300

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Officers and directors · 2024

As listed in Part VII of the 2024 return, in the order the filer printed them. Each return names its own; this is not a roster the organization keeps with us.

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. Earlier years are each on their own filing page.

Filings

• 2024

  Revenue

  $798,956

  Expenses

  $866,200

  Contributions

  $647,414

  Grants paid

  $0

• 2022

  Revenue

  $867,370

  Expenses

  $931,622

  Contributions

  $692,125

  Grants paid

  $0

The four totals the IRS asks for on Part I of the Form 990, as filed. A dash means the figure was not present on the return — not that it was zero.

Other returns filed

• 2021 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,143,986

  Expenses

  $1,291,606

  Assets (EOY)

  $206,788

• 2020 · 990

  Revenue

  $844,991

  Expenses

  $820,191

  Assets (EOY)

  $342,499

• 2019 · 990

  Revenue

  $529,390

  Expenses

  $416,629

  Assets (EOY)

  $381,865

• 2018 · 990

  Revenue

  $950,920

  Expenses

  $948,619

  Assets (EOY)

  $306,506

• 2017 · 990

  Revenue

  $1,020,041

  Expenses

  $1,065,052

  Assets (EOY)

  $256,208

• 2016 · 990

  Revenue

  $933,038

  Expenses

  $946,896

  Assets (EOY)

  $349,346

• 2015 · 990

  Revenue

  $932,081

  Expenses

  $911,947

  Assets (EOY)

  $510,312

• 2014 · 990

  Revenue

  $913,527

  Expenses

  $865,876

  Assets (EOY)

  $496,186

• 2013 · 990

  Revenue

  $849,166

  Expenses

  $877,119

  Assets (EOY)

  $454,029

• 2012 · 990

  Revenue

  — not reported

  Expenses

  $808,301

  Assets (EOY)

  $543,105

Nonprofiteer parses Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF, in a window of recent tax years. These returns are recorded from the IRS e-file index, so their figures were extracted by that index rather than read from the return here — treat them as a different source from the filings above, not as more of the same record. A dash means the index carries no figure; Form 990-T listings carry none at all. Showing the 10 most recent; the API carries the rest.

Grants made

No itemized grants to organizations. Schedule I is filed only by organizations that granted more than $5,000 to a recipient, so most filers have none.

Grants received

• FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

  $20,900

  2023 · For grant recipient's exempt purposes

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $17,200

  2024 · CULTURE & ARTS

• NORTHFIELD SHARES

  $13,600

  2022

• NORTHFIELD SHARES

  $13,600

  2023 · $10K STAGE, $3,600 ONGOING SUPPORT

• THEATER LEAGUE INC

  $10,000

  2023 · Support cultural and educational programming

• THEATER LEAGUE INC

  $10,000

  2024

• SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS COUNCIL INC

  $10,000

  2023 · ACHF: PROGRAMMING GRANT

• SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA ARTS COUNCIL INC

  $10,000

  2022 · ACHF: PROGRAMMING GRANT

• DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING

  $8,150

  2024 · ARTS, CULTURE & HUMANITIES

• NATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TR

  $8,000

  2023 · EDUCATION

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Other IRS files