Meet Our Instructors

G.J. (Greg) Thompson is an award-winning actor and director born in Denver, raised in Chicago and now based in St Petersburg, FL.  He joined St Petersburg Shakespeare Festival in 2017 and has been in their productions of Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet. G.J. played Brabantio in Jobsite Theater’s 2019 production of Othello.  In addition, G.J. adapted and directed productions of Richard III, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing at Rogers State University. He taught Introduction to Shakespeare at Florida State University (2003-2006).  G.J.'s theatrical education includes degrees in theater from Florida State University and the University of South Florida. In addition, he studied acting at Loyola University, the Goodman Theater and Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. https://www.gjthompsonactor.com/

Cinda Goeken was born/raised in Central Illinois and earned a BFA in Drama from Illinois Wesleyan University. For the past eight seasons, she has been teaching acting and facilitating an annual play reading event for the Follies Performing Troupe, affiliated with The Players Centre in Sarasota.  She stays busy with various theatre projects in the Tampa Metro area, having worked as a Stage Manager, Actor, Singer, Director, Producer, Teacher and Coach. She first became involved with St. Petersburg Shakespeare Festival in 2018, when she was cast as the Nurse in “Romeo and Juliet”.