Jess Winfield

Jess Winfield is an American playwright, screenwriter, voice actor, and novelist best known as a founding member of the acclaimed comedy troupe The Reduced Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the author of the humorous and inventive novel My Name Is Will: A Novel of Sex, Drugs, and Shakespeare. His work spans theater, television, and literature, and is marked by a unique blend of literary reverence, irreverent humor, and sharp cultural satire.

Born in Huntington Beach, California, Winfield studied at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he developed a lifelong passion for William Shakespeare. This passion led to the creation of The Reduced Shakespeare Company in the 1980s, which he co-founded with Adam Long and Daniel Singer. The group achieved international fame with their hit stage show The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), a fast-paced, comedic distillation of all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in under two hours. Winfield co-wrote and performed in the original production, which became a long-running hit in London’s West End and has since been produced worldwide.

In addition to his theatrical work, Winfield built a successful career in television. He worked as a writer and producer for numerous animated and live-action shows, including Disney’s Teacher’s Pet, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, and The 7D. His work in animation is known for its smart writing and appeal to both kids and adults, reflecting his versatile comedic sensibility.

As a novelist, Winfield made a splash with My Name Is Will (2007), a parallel-narrative novel that intertwines the story of a modern-day grad student named Willie Shakespeare Greenberg with a fictionalized account of the young William Shakespeare. The novel blends historical fiction, contemporary satire, and metaphysical musings, drawing praise for its wit, originality, and affectionate tribute to the Bard.

Jess Winfield continues to write, perform, and speak about Shakespeare and storytelling. Through his work with The Reduced Shakespeare Company and beyond, he has helped make classical literature accessible and entertaining for new generations. His blend of scholarly insight and comic irreverence has made him a singular voice in modern American theater and fiction.