Sidonie Garrett is the Executive Artistic Director of the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival where she most recently directed ROMEO AND JULIET, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and the previous five season’s productions, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, THE WINTER’S TALE, KING LEAR, TWELFTH NIGHT and HAMLET, all awarded Best Play in Pitch Magazine’s BEST OF KC, as well as 15 other Shakespeare plays. Her experience working with new plays took her to New York City, where she directed the off-Broadway production of Thanatos. Sidonie also assistant directed the off-Broadway premiere of the interactive AUNT CHOOCH’S BIRTHDAY PARTY. In Kansas City, at the Unicorn Theatre she directed THE SOUND INSIDE, TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, THE EFFECT, DISGRACED, HOW TO USE A KNIFE, THE WHALE, I’LL EAT YOU LAST, OTHER DESERT CITIES, THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT, TIME STANDS STILL, IN THE NEXT ROOM: THE VIBRATOR PLAY, FAITH HEALER, RISING WATER, IRON KISSES, RETREAT FROM MOSCOW, OMNIUM GATHERUM, the world premiere of THANATOS, SUBURBIA, THE WAITING ROOM, DESERT HOLIDAY, SPINNING INTO BUTTER, SANTALAND DIARIES and co-directed LIGHT/DAMAGE with Cynthia Levin. Sidonie directed A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE and ‘NIGHT MOTHER for Kansas City Actors Theatre. At the Coterie Theatre she directed The Macbeth Project: In Spite of Thunder, the U.S. premiere of AFTER JULIET, MR. A’S AMAZING MAZE PLAYS, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, LITTLE HOUSE BY THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, OF MICE AND MEN, PLAYING FOR TIME and co-directed THE HOBBIT. Sidonie co-directed TONY & TINA’S WEDDING (Kansas City and St. Louis) for Fourth Wall Productions. She directed THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS with the Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City, ELEEMOSYNARY AND GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES at the Fishtank Theatre and has directed collaborations with KC Ballet, KC Symphony, and KC Chorale, and Script-In-Hand readings including The Beard of Avon and The Women, with KC Actors Theatre and The Tempest for JCCC’s Performing Arts Series. Previously with Elizabeth Suh Lane she co-created and directed PLAY ON! a collaboration of music and words, and the second co-production in the series, THE MARRIAGE OF TRUE MINDS. In 2020, she co-directed and produced two streaming productions, Shakespeare at Home and William Shakespeare’s Christmas Carol in addition to two live outdoor performances of Shakespeare’s scenes, Yard Bards and ShakesFEAR! She directed a filmed version of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for JCCC’s Performing Arts Series and Show-Me Shakespeare as well as three live events in summer 2021 in Southmoreland Park, titled Shakespearience. For HASF, she has directed collaborations with the Bach Aria Soloists, the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale, Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony, JCCC’s Performing Arts Series, Kansas City Actors Theatre, KC Rep, the Kansas City Museum, and many other partners. Sidonie has been with HASF for 21 years as artistic director. In addition to her directing work, she serves on the Board of the Midwest Dramatists Center and is one of the founders of the Kansas City Theatre Alliance, forging deeper relationships and fostering collaboration amongst local professional theatres. Most recently she directed Women of Note in Word and Song with the Bach Aria Soloists and ShakesFEAR! for HASF and co-directed ONLY ONE DAY A YEAR at the Coterie Theatre. Sidonie will direct THE TEMPEST for HASF in summer 2023.