Review: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s "The Tempest" Shines with Vibrant Design

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Director Rick Dildine Stages Shakespeare's Classic as a Dreamlike Surreal Fable

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A magical fantasy is washing over Shakespeare’s Glen in Forest Park. The Tempest, directed by Rick Dildine, is Shakespeare’s story of the exiled Duke of Milan plotting revenge and ultimately granting forgiveness to her foes.

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Dildine has constructed a dreamlike surreal fable that sits somewhere between comedy and drama. In promotional social media reels he says that his production is more “White Lotus than Henry V.” He calls it pure magic, pure fun, and a great time , and he is not wrong.

The cast, led by the enchanting Nancy Bell as the exiled sorcerer Prospero, is comprised of mostly local actors. The depth and versatility of the St. Louis acting community is on full display. The ensemble impresses with their artistry taking on the classic work.

Faculty members from the Sargent Conservatory at Webster University who were in the audience on opening night boasted that nearly half of the talented cast are students or graduates of their esteemed theatre arts program.

Christoper and Justin Swader ’s decaying shipwreck set design looks flat and unimpressive at first view. It’s intentionally dilapidated but it stuns with functionality and depth when painted with Jeff Boehm’s chromatic lighting design. It’s a flawless fusion of theatrical artistry.

Boehm’s multihued lighting becomes a storytelling symphony when combined with Melanie Chen Cole ’s sensory sound design. Their stagecraft heightens the narrative and enriches Dildine’s literary expression.

Boehm and Cole’s lighting and sound design blend to create tumultuous thunderstorms and sweeping magical spells. Cole’s sound effects create some never seen characters and creatures, like the dogs who chase Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo.

Dildine has added an original prologue that is set at the wedding of King Alonso’s daughter Claribel. The audience meets the ill-fated passengers boarding the ship destined to be lost at sea on their journey from Tunis back to Naples.

The wedding reception, hosted by a rollicking folk band, introduces music director/actor Michael Grieve and the other musician/actors (Crayton Haney and Otto Klemp) who sing and play Grieve’s original score. Grieve, is a dynamic instrumentalist and vocalist. He doubles in the ensemble as Boatswain.

Bell’s understated yet sovereign Prospero unleashes spellbinding powers on those who have wronged her. Her presence is always felt . Often, she is found looming above the action from her stage left birds nest atop the ship ruins set. Once her rightful dominion is restored , she breaks her staff and releases her power with emotive and demonstrative imagery.

Sigrid Wise’s paints the naïve Miranda as a winsome ingenue untouched by worldly experience. She conveys Miranda’s infatuation with the handsome Ferdinand. Their palpable fascination with each other is captured though both her and Zay William’s’ portrayals of the smitten couple. Williams makes a dashing and enamored Ferdinand.

Chauncy Thomas as Caliban and Eliza Pagelle as Ariel play the indentured islanders. Thomas’ Caliban has a mad quality as the island native who has lost his family’s island to Milan’s banished Duke. Thomas’ scene stealing portrayal of the unhinged “monster” is more anger than insane. Pagelle gives the invisible fairy an ethereal quality floating about the island as Prospero eyes and ears.

Dildine elicits spirited portrayals from his entire company whether it is from actors playing the Italian nobility or the drunken commoners. Kathryn A. Bentley (Alonso), Jeff Cummings (Antonio), Michael Doherty (Stephano), Harrison Farmer (Francisco), Reginald Pierre (Sebastian), Whit Reichert (Gonzalo), and José Sabillón’s (Trinculo) transformative portrayals and singular talents all shine brightly.

One can always count on an outstanding show from the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival team. This production of The Tempest is a beautifully staged and technically superior production with crisp direction, incandescent portrayals, keen stage direction, luxuriantly tailored costumes, and vibrant technical design.

The Tempest will run for the next four weeks in the Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park. The Glen is adjacent to Art Hill. Performances are free and run Tuesday through Sundays at 8:15pm. A limited number of reserved seats are available for purchase. For more information visit stlshakes.org .

Photo Credit: Phillip Hamer Photography

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/st-louis/article/Review-THE-TEMPEST-at-St-Louis-Shakespeare-Festival-is-Awash-in-Vibrant-Technical-Design-20260530)._