Described as a cultural shaper and creator, Kate Bergstrom assumes the role of Augustin Family Artistic Director at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis beginning May 13.
While Bergstrom is new to St. Louis, theatergoers here are likely familiar with her work, as she directed The Rep’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” at Christmastime, for which she was nominated for best director by the St. Louis Theater Circle. She also directed “The 39 Steps” in 2022.
“The unwaveringly beautiful and crucial component of The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is, of course, St. Louis! I am honored and humbled to return to this wonderful community in this role to celebrate — through excellent, engaging and relevant storytelling — this beloved region,” Bergstrom said.
Her appointment follows a six-month nationwide search after Hana S. Sharif’s departure last summer.
Bergstrom, a California native who works as a freelance director based out of New York City, becomes the eighth artistic director in The Rep’s 58-year history. The region’s premiere theater was founded in 1966, and made its home at the Webster University’s Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts.
After a bombshell announcement last fall that The Rep’s season was in jeopardy and it needed to cover a $2.5 million budget shortfall to continue, community support came through in an organized “Rally For The Rep” multi-year fundraising campaign.
In addition to challenges brought on by the pandemic, dwindling ticket sales, season subscribers not renewing, employee turnover, shows at several different venues and eroding community support were cited as factors that led to the financial crisis.
The Rep was able to finish out its 2023-2024 season due to the success of the “Rally For The Rep” campaign. A holiday benefit experience that featured St. Louis alumnus John Goodman raised more than $150,000 for The Rep.
Managing Director Danny Williams announced in January that 80% of the fundraising goal had been reached to fund the second half of the season, which included productions of “Moby Dick” and “August: Osage County.”
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support that we’ve received from the St. Louis community,” he said. “While our first big hurdle is behind us, the need for continued support remains as we build a sustainable future for The Rep.”
Williams stressed the need to build a stable future amid an industry undergoing radical change.
“We are working to build a model that responds to today’s cultural landscape so that we remain an anchoring cultural force for St. Louis, using the transformative power of the arts to build bridges in our region and beyond,” he said.
Williams added that Bergstrom, in her role as the new artistic director, brings a passionate energy for The Rep’s next chapter that builds on the theater’s success as a vital, celebrated, cultural cornerstone of St. Louis.
“Kate is a bold and generous leader, who works with a heart-forward approach to center an artistic vision that will bring out the best in The Rep,” he said. “At this critical juncture in the organization, her passion, energy and commitment to St. Louis makes her an inspired choice to ensure a vibrant future for the theater.”
Bergstrom said she considers The Rep to be much more than a theater.
“It serves as a critical cultural heart in St. Louis by elevating and expanding the capacity for the extraordinary in us all,” said Bergstrom, who holds a master’s of fine arts in directing from Brown University, and a bachelor’s in directing and acting from UCLA.
She has directed at regional theaters across the country, and as a festival director Bergstrom programmed the Big Eddy Film Festival in Upstate New York where her responsibilities included fundraising, audience and community development, and partnership building. She is moving from New York to St. Louis with husband Mike and their dog, Crispy.
New Season
The Rep’s 2024-25 season, which kicks off in September with the suspense thriller “Dial M for Murder,” was programmed by Williams and the current artistic team. Bergstrom will lead the selection of the Steve Woolf Studio Series this season.
“We have the grand opportunity ahead to celebrate the power of extraordinary togetherness in this beloved region during a divisive time,” she said. “By bridging the differences that make us unique and the undergirding humanity that unites us all, The Rep looks to spark joy, discovery and that extraordinary togetherness towards a thriving St. Louis and beyond.”
