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Regional Reviews: St. Louis The Tempest Also see Richard's review of Wild Nights
It's so fast-paced, in fact, that there's no intermission. The show starts at 8:15 and you're out of there by about 10:15. And yet every kind of betrayal, often comical, exists on nearly every level of the play (except for the romantic, which may explain why they sometimes call it a "late Shakespearean Romance"). A barely acknowledged human legacy of subterfuge becomes the whole world for an actress who seems to be able to do anything: Nancy Bell as the exiled Prospero, robbed of her title as duke of Milan, and ruthlessly Elba'd aside with a three-year-old child in tow, twelve years before the play begins. Ms. Bell is a subtle genius of complex grace and intention, making the role her own in a show that's fault-free and immensely entertaining. Every time a great line pours forth from one of the actors on a set dominated by the show's giant hulk of a ruined ship, designed by Christopher Swader and Justin Swader, we reclaim our English patrimony, as a pulse of endorphins goes rushing through us. And every time this Prospero casts a spell on the others, a row of stage lights (facing out toward the audience) sweeps on sequentially, behind the shipwreck, usually forming a dream-like smear, all the way from our left to all the way right. It's a bit early for fireflies, but the effect is the same, thanks to lighting designer Jeff Behm. Prospero's long-held desire for revenge against her brother, who has seized the dukedom, quickly spreads to nearly everyone else on stage–except for Sigrid Wise as Prospero's daughter, Miranda, and Prince Ferdinand (of Naples), beautifully played by Zay Williams. He's one of the victims of the magical shipwreck, and the quiet beauty of Miranda and Ferdinand's romance gives our hearts a place to rest inside the eye of the storm. Chauncy Thomas carries a tempest inside of him, his first few scenes filled with an anguished roar, as the "monster" Caliban, a tormented native who now seems more than ever like a comment on the cruelty of colonialism. There's a catch in his howling voice, under the sway of this Prospero, that almost invisibly twists everything, including the show's regular bouts of comedy. The Tempest is believed to have debuted in about 1610 but is regarded as possibly the last play Shakespeare ever wrote on his own. Caliban's earnest demands for freedom are pushed aside in the swirl of a royal jester, Trinculo (José Sabillón), and the king's drunken butler, Stephano (Michael Doherty), who has saved the ship's butts of malmsey from the storm of scene one. Those tipsy royal servants deserve star billing in this edited-down version, as director Dildine keeps classical comedy vibrantly alive on stage. Elsewhere, Antonio (Jeff Cummings) tempts Ferdinand's brother Sebastian (Reggie Pierre) into jumping the line of succession in an elegantly reasoned side moment. Eliza Pagelle is, well, spritely as Ariel, and Whit Reichert is perfect as Gonzalo, another of the new castaways, gradually rising from ridicule to become a hero of the story. Kathryn A. Bentley is a regal, no-nonsense king of Naples as Alonso. She seems to expect a rain of hell-fire from the sky at any moment, but hoists an invisible "iron dome" of protection above her, at least in her demeanor. There's wonderful heartfelt live music throughout, thanks to a clutch of modern folksingers who come and go, led by music director Michael Grieve. And the rainbow of lighting effects (by Mr. Behm) glowing within the wrecked hull upstage add their own dose of impossible fascination, as the sun sets and the dusk begins to glow in the sky. By the end, when Ms. Bell closes Prospero's book of spells at last, we too have been transformed by the night. The Tempest, produced by St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, runs through June 21, ,2026 in Shakespeare Glen, 6604 Fine Arts Drive, just east of the Art Museum, St. Louis MO. For tickets and information, please visit www.stlshakes.org. Cast: Production Staff: Director: Rick Dildine Costume Design Assistant: Sera Bourgeau Carpenters: * Denotes Member, Actors' Equity Association + Denotes Member, USA Local 829 ++ Denotes Member, IATSTE Local #6
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