Christina River Institute

Fontaine Syer

Fontaine Syer is an award-winning director and actor with a broad range of experience in the American theatre. She began her professional work at the Arena Stage in Washington as assistant director to Alan Schneider and Zelda Fichandler for the Arena's tour to the Soviet Union.

After leaving the Arena, Fontaine was a co-founder of Theatre Project Company in St. Louis, where she was Artistic Director for 14 years. While in St. Louis, Fontaine directed more than 30 productions, including Bent, Translations, Waiting for Godot, and You Can’t Take It with You, and acted in a number of productions including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Taming of the Shrew, and A Delicate Balance.

After several years on the road as a freelance actor and director, Fontaine spent four years at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) as Associate Artistic Director. Favorite projects at OSF include directing The Winter’s Tale and Mad Forest and appearing in The Rehearsal and Three Hotels.

She has directed the Delaware Theater Company productions of As You Like It, Dancing at Lughnasa, Design for Living, Stop Kiss, and Macbeth. She recently had the wonderful opportunity to appear as Eleanor opposite Henry Woronicz in The Lion in Winter at Meadowbrook Theatre.

In addition to acting and directing, Fontaine has taught at Washington University and the University of Missouri, both in St. Louis, at the Alliance Academy in Atlanta, at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. She is also an experienced presentation coach, speechwriter, and communications consultant.