2024-2025 Season at The Otto M. Budig Theater
Brian Isaac Phillips, Producing Artistic Director and CEO
Presents:
William Shakespeare’s
The Tempest
Directed by Candice Handy
Scenic Designer: Samantha Reno
Costume Designer: Rainy Edwards
Assistant Costume Designer: Kayla Cieslinski
Lighting Designer: Andrew Hungerford+
Associate Lighting Designer: Kassidy Schley
Sound Designer: Christopher Guthrie
Projections Designer: Robert Carlton Stimmel^
Properties Manager: Rebecca Armstrong
Dramaturg: Beasley
Composer and Music Director: Aleah Vassell
Dance Choreographer: Darnell Pierre Benjamin
Intimacy and Fight Director: Gina Cerimele-Mechley
Stage Manager: Cole Sweasy*
Assistant Stage Manager: Rowan Rozzi*
Cast
Sebastian: Jasimine Bouldin
Prospera: Leslie Brott*
Ferdinand: Jason Coffenberry
Stephano: Cary Davenport*
Antonio: Jeremy Dubin*
Ariel: Hannah Gregory
King Alonzo: Jim Hopkins*
Gonzalo: Joneal Joplin*
Caliban: Sylvester Little Jr.*
Trinculo: Sara Mackie*
Miranda: Dani Grace Nissen
Boatswain/Island Spirit: Aiden Sims*
All other roles will be played by members of the ensemble
Q-Kidz Island Spirits
Davian Brooks, Zakari Clark, Laurion Cook, De’Unniey Crawford, Queen Hadden, Shalin Harmon, Taylor Tolliver (Understudy)
Production Staff
Master Carpenter: Bryce Carson
Wardrobe Supervisor: Kayla Cieslinski
Lighting Supervisor and Scenic Associate: Jared Earland
Associate Production Manager & Resident Costume Designer: Rainy Edwards
Technical Director: Chris Holloway
Production Technician: Brad Hopper
Costume Shop Manager: Lindsey Jones
Charge Artist: Samantha Reno
Production Manager: Robert Carlton Stimmel
Resident Stage Manager and Production Coordinator: Cole Sweasy*
Design Sponsor:
Education Partners:
^Artist Sponsored by Judge Mark Painter
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
(She/Her) 2nd Season
Cincinnati: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Fat Ham, Amen Corner (Favorite CSC); The Twunny Fo'(Know Theatre); It's Not a Trip, It’s a Journey (Know Theatre). TV/Film: Wildfire (Amazon Prime). Education: Northern Kentucky University (BA).
3rd Season
Cincinnati: August: Osage County; The Winter's Tale (Favorite CSC) Regional: Hay Fever, Driving Miss Daisy (Lyric Repertory Company); Hamlet, Merry Wives, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Richard III, Lion in Winter, Coriolanus, Hay Fever, Matchmaker, Blithe Spirit, Measure for Measure, Merchant of Venice, Arsenic and Old Lace (Utah Shakespeare); Noises Off, Yes-No-Maybe So (Milwaukee Rep); Much Ado, Measure for Measure (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare); Glass Menagerie, Hamlet, Much Ado, Merry Wives (Great River Shakespeare); Skylight, Matchmaker, Brighton Beach, Always...Patsy Cline, Lion in Winter (PCPA Theaterfest). Education: MFA-Penn State. Associate Dean/Professor/Head of Acting: Caine College of the Arts, Utah State University
(He/Him) Debut
Cincinnati: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet Educational Tour, Macbeth Educational Tour, The Comedy of Errors Park Tour (CSC) Education: BFA in Acting from Northern Kentucky University Website: https://www.jasoncoffenberry.com
(He/Him) 11th Season
Cincinnati: As You Like It, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Grapes of Wrath, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, August: Osage County, The Living Dead, Twelfth Night, The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) (favorite CSC), Girlfriend, Ada and the Engine, Whisper House (The Know Theatre), Wuthering: A Musical On the Moors (Gregory and McWethy/Cincinnati Fringe Festival). Regional: The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Promethean Theatre Ensemble, Chicago), The Bacchae (Right Brian Project, Chicago). Education: Alumnus of Northern Kentucky University.
(He/Him) 25th Season
Cincinnati: The Play That Goes Wrong, The Importance of Being Earnest, King Lear, Pride & Prejudice, Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing (Director), Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Director), The Comedy of Errors (Director), Titus Andronicus (Director) (favorite CSC); Fortune, Red Velvet (Ensemble Theatre); Neverwhere (Know Theatre). Regional: A Flea in Her Ear, Escape from Happiness (Milwaukee Rep); Two Households (Unseam’d Shakespeare). New York: The Rewards of Being Frank (New York Classical). TV/Film: The Wise Guys, Hauntology, Miles Ahead, Santa’s Promise. Website: DubinJD.com
(She/Her) 3rd Season
Cincinnati: Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It (Favorite CSC), Judith, Deliver Us (Upcoming with One Off Productions), Glassheart (Know Theatre), Descent: a Murder Ballad (Cincinnati Fringe Festival), American Idiot (The Carnegie), The Who's TOMMY (Memorial Hall), Like Demons (InBocca Performance) Education: Northern Kentucky University (BFA) Website: www.hannah-gregory.com
(He/Him) 17th Season
Cincinnati: Gaslight, King Lear, The Living Dead, All the Way, Hamlet, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, August: Osage County, The Diary of Anne Frank, Julius Caesar, Of Mice and Men, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, Dracula, Henry VIII, Pride and Prejudice, Oliver Twist, Midsummer, Othello, The Grapes of Wrath, The Seagull, Cymbeline (Favorite CSC); Hands on a Hard Body (twice!) (Ensemble Theater); Manbeast, Bankers (Know Theater); White Privilege (Cincinnati Fringe Festival). Regional: The Liar, School for Wives (Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey); Jerry Springer: The Opera (Playhouse on the Square Memphis); Romeo and Juliet (Human Race)
(he/him) 9th Season
Cincinnati: Trouble in Mind, Noises Off, All The Way, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way tothe Forum, A Fleain Her Ear, Long Day's Journey Into Night, Hughie/Krapp's Last Tape, Richard II, Of Mice and Men (Favorite CSC) as well as productions with Ensemble Theatre, Human Race, and more locally. Regional: Over 100 productions at The Repertory Theatre of St.Louis and many others nationwide.
(He/Him) 9th Season
Cincinnati: Fences, All the Way, Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo & Juliet (Favorite CSC). Regional: Faust (Aimee Rose - Frankfurt, Germany), Death of a Salesman, Comedy of Errors (American Players Theatre), Superior Donut's (Birmingham Equity Theatre). Education: Alumnus of Purdue University (MFA), Berea College (BA)
(She/Her) 5th Season
Cincinnati/NKY/Dayton: The Taming of the Shrew, Pride and Prejudice, Wrecking Ball, Hamlet (Favorite CSC); Rutka (u/s)(Playhouse); Fun Home, Wonderettes, Hands on a Hardbody, Mauritius, Others and Holiday offerings for 25 years (ETC); Hello Dolly, Pump Boys (Carnegie); Frankie and Johnny… (NET); An Act of God, This is Tom Jones, (Human Race Theatre Company). Film/TV: The Public, Dark Waters, The Bikeriders, The Christmas Spirit. Education: BFA Acting Wright State University. Website: saramackie.com
(She/Her) 2nd Season
Cincinnati: The Comedy of Errors Park Tour (Favorite CSC). Regional: As You Like It (Nashville Shakespeare Festival), The Comedy of Errors, Measure for Measure (Hoosier Shakespeare Festival), Much Ado About Nothing (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company). Education: Wright State University (BFA). danigracenissen.com
(She/Her) 3rd Season
Cincinnati: The Tempest, Richard III, Henry VI Parts 2 and 3, The Elephant Man, Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra (Favorite CSC), Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet as Juliet (CSC tour), Bloody Mary, Gentrification: The Musical, Current, dream&, Between 3&5, Damage, Bed: A Fever Dream (Cincy Fringe), Up-the-As*pirin: Pain Management (Artswave), Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens (Ensemble Theatre), Beertown (Know Theatre), A Klingon Christmas Carol (Hugo West Theatricals). Regional: Well by Lisa Kron (Falcon Theatre), Company as Marta (Carnegie). Education: Cincinnati's School for Creative and Performing Arts
(he/him) 16 Seasons
Cincinnati: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Play That Goes Wrong, Much Ado About Nothing, Midsummer Night's Dream, Let The Right One In, As You Like It, Taming Of The Shrew, Richard III, A Flea In Her Ear, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, The 39 Steps, Dracula, King John, & Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Favorite CSC). The Other Place (Ensemble Theatre). Nathan The Wise (Theatre Of The First Amendment). Education: Alumnus of George Mason University (BA).
Candice Handy (she/her) is the Associate Artistic Director at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She is a passionate theatre actor, director, educator, and administrator. She is committed to story-telling that is accessible to all people and promotes better understanding of ourselves and of each other. This is Ms. Handy’s eighth season working with CSC, where she was previously the Director of Education and is currently a resident ensemble actor. Candice is a member of the Actors Equity Association since 2019, and has 15 years of acting experience.
Ms. Handy’s director credits at CSC include James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner, CSC’s FREE Shakespeare in the Park production of Hamlet, CSC’s Educational Tour productions of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, and August Wilson’s, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Candice looks forward to her upcoming directorial projects, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (FREE Shakespeare in the Park), Othello and Kate Hamill’s Emma, based on the novel by Jane Austen. Ms. Handy’s most recent production, Lanie Robertson’s Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Merrimack Reparatory Theater) received a Boston Critic’s Pick award from the Boston Theatre Critics Association. Candice holds a Master of Fine Arts in Acting and Certification in African American Theatre Art from the University of Louisville.
Candice thanks God for placing theatre art as the calling on her life and her family and friends for their unrelenting support over the years.
(she/her) 5th Season
Cincinnati: Much Ado About Nothing, Kindred Spirits, The Play That Goes Wrong; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Importance of Being Earnest; The Living Dead (Favorite CSC); Fierce (Cincinnati Opera); Our Story: Bold Moves Festival (Cincinnati Ballet); Noises Off! (Northern Kentucky University). Regional: The Newlywed Game (B Street Theatre, Sacramento); Gaslight (Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Lowell, MA); Peter and the Starcatcher (University of California, Davis). New York: The Rewards of Being Frank (New York Classical Theatre). Education: Northern Kentucky University (BFA). Website: samanthareno.com. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Resident Scenic Designer
(she/her) 6th Season
Cincinnati: The Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet, The Comedy of Errors, The Living Dead, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gaslight, The Importance of Being Earnest, Frankenstein, Kindred Spirits, Twelfth Night (Favorite CSC); Lizard Boy: The Musical (Know Theatre). Education: Florida State University (MFA in Costume Design). Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Associate Production Manager and Resident Costume Designer
(she/they) 2nd Season
Cincinnati: Macbeth, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Twelfth Night, Fat Ham, Kindred Spirits, Much Ado About Nothing (Wig Design CSC). Regional: Charlotte’s Web, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz (Constellation Stage and Screen). Education: Indiana University (BA in Theatre, Concentration in Stage Management and Costuming; Minor in Arts Administration)
10th season
Cincinnati: 48 CSC Productions; Know Theatre (17 seasons as Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer, 10 seasons as Producing Artistic Director); The Children's Theatre; Cincinnati Playhouse. New York: Hundred Days (New York Theatre Workshop); These 7 Sicknesses (The Flea). Regional: Boise Contemporary Theatre; Boston Court Pasadena; La Jolla Playhouse; Matheatre; Performance Network; Portland Stage; Rogue Machine; Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; Son of Semele; Stanford Summer Theatre. Education: Michigan State University (BA Theatre, BS Astrophysics); University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MFA). Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. Website: andrewhungerford.com
(he/him) 12th Season
Cincinnati: 100+ CSC productions including The Play that Goes Wrong, King John, Amadeus, The Tempest, Taming of the Shrew
(Favorite CSC).
(he/him) (6th Season)
Cincinnati: Macbeth, A Room in the Castle, Twelfth Night, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Julius Caesar, The Amen Corner, Wrecking Ball, Gaslight, Trouble in Mind, As You Like It, The Living Dead, The Comedy of Errors, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Favorite CSC); To Kill a Mockingbird, A Christmas Carol, Antigone, Rikki Tikki Tavi, Rapunzel (Cincinnati Playhouse In The Park); Archie and the Ashes (Know Theatre); Higher (American Legacy Theatre); Earworm (Impaired Vision Productions). Regional: Elephant and Piggie, Little Red Riding Hood (Merrimack Repertory Theatre); The Fantasticks, The Normal Heart (Short North Stage); Eavesdropping (Alliance Theatre); Earworm (Hollywood Fringe Festival). International: Twelfth Night (Prague Shakespeare Company). Education: Miami University (BA in Theatre). Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Production Manager
(she/her) 5th Season
Cincinnati: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, The Birds (Production Manager) (CSC); BLERDS, Mary's Monster (PM), The Man-Beast (PM) (Know Theatre); Nancy Brew Zoomdunnit (PM/Producer), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (Tour Manager) (Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park); Garbologists, Grounded (ETC). Regional: Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week- Marc Jacobs, Christian Siriano, Carolina Herrera, Lady Gaga, Brevard Music Center Summer Institute & Festival (APM)- Sweeney Todd, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Night at the Movies, Mahler Symphony No. 6
(they/them) 2nd Season
Cincinnati: Much Ado About Nothing, The Amen Corner, Wrecking Ball, The Comedy of Errors (CSC); The Dancing Princesses, MLM is for Murder, Fiona: The Musical (Ensemble Theatre). Regional: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Oklahoma Shakespeare). Education: University of Oklahoma.
(they/she) 2nd Season
Cincinnati: The Amen Corner (CSC, performer & composer); Hands on a Hardbody, 10 Minute Connections (Ensemble Theatre). Regional: This Is Tom Jones, Camelot (Human Race Theatre); Actor, writer, and composer performing across the Dayton/Cincinnati region. Education: Samford University (BFA in Musical Theatre); University of Tennessee, Knoxville (MFA in Acting).
(he/they) 14th Season
Cincinnati: Titus Andronicus, Fences, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Favorite CSC); A Christmas Carol (Cincy Playhouse in the Park); Fiona the Musical, Detroit ‘67, The Legend of Georgia McBride (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati); Kill Move Paradise, Angels in America (Know Theatre); Regional: Romeo and Juliet, A Raisin in the Sun (Hope Summer Repertory); Taming of the Shrew (Kentucky Shakespeare Festival); Film/TV: Long Story Short, Notzilla, Santa’s Promise; Education: University of Houston (MFA), UL Lafayette (BFA). Affiliations/Awards: Artswave’s Truth and Reconciliation Grant, Cincinnati Black Pride Vizazi, Encore Michigan Wilde Award for “Best of the Bard”, Shakespeare Theatre Association.
(she/her) 30th Season
Cincinnati: Much Ado About Nothing, Kindred Spirits, The Play That Goes Wrong, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Living Dead (Favorite CSC); Fight direction for Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Ballet, Ensemble Theatre, Playhouse in the Park, Human Race Theatre. Regional: Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Denver Center Theatre Company, Opera Theatre St. Louis, Alaska Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre. Affiliations: 33-year member, Society of American Fight Directors (one of the few female Fight Directors). Education/Teaching: Founder, Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy; First recipient, CAA’s Arts Educator Award.
(they/them) (4th Season)
Cincinnati: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Fat Ham, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Amen Corner, King Lear, The Comedy of Errors (Favorite CSC); All's Faire, Cincinnati Fringe Festival (Know Theatre). Regional: Event Stage Management in Bowling Green, Nashville and Atlanta. Education: Western Kentucky University (BAs in Theatre, Communication Studies, and English). Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Resident Stage Manager and Production Coordinator.
(he/him) Debut
Cincinnati: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), A Room in the Castle (Favorite CSC). Regional: Beauty and the Beast Jr., The Prom, Heathers The Musical, POTUS. Education: Bowling Green State University (BA in Communications with a Specialization in Design/Technical Theatre). Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Assistant Stage Manager.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is delighted to collaborate with the Q-Kidz Dance Team in our production of The Tempest. This is the second year of this collaboration, following a successful partnership on last season’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. These talented young dancers take the stage as island spirits, infusing the play with their boundless energy and captivating choreography.
Founded by Marquicia Jones-Woods in 1982, Q-Kidz Dance Team plays a vital role in encouraging and inspiring the creative expression for Cincinnati’s youth through dance and education. For four decades, Marquicia, known as Ms. Quincy to the girls, and her daughters, Chariah and Mariah, have been champions for the Cincinnati community, serving over 100 youths annually through Q-Kidz. Extending beyond dance, Q-Kidz provides essential life skills through programs focused on drug prevention, wellness, and enrichment. They are a beacon of hope and opportunity for Cincinnati's youth, empowering them to thrive.
This collaboration blends artistic excellence with community enrichment, highlighting the way creativity and collaboration transforms lives. The Q-Kidz dancers, with their dedication and talent, adds an enchanting dimension to this production.
We celebrate these young performers and their impact. Their involvement showcases the arts' ability to unite communities and amplify young voices. Join us in applauding the Q-Kidz Dance Team as we bring the magic of Shakespeare to life.
To learn more about Q-Kidz, visit q-kidz.org
Collaboration made possible by Richard and Debbie Westheimer
Closer Look: Synopsis
SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you’d prefer to be surprised by the production
Shakespeare’s comedy about a major act of betrayal, ill treatment, the development of magic arts and a plot of revenge.
Twelve years ago, Prospera was Duchess of Milan. Being of a bookish disposition, she withdrew more and more into her studies, leaving the management of her state to her brother Antonio. Eventually, with the help of Alonso, King of Naples, and the King's brother Sebastian—inveterate enemies of Prospera—Antonio usurped the dukedom for himself. Prospera and her baby daughter Miranda were put to sea in a rotten boat and eventually landed on a distant island once ruled by the witch Sycorax but now inhabited only by her son, Caliban, and Ariel, a spirit.
Magic Arts
Since then, Prospera has ruled the island and its two inhabitants by the use of magic arts derived from her studies. Her daughter Miranda has grown up seeing no other human being.
Revenge
Prospera divines that fortune has brought her enemies close to the island, and she sees an opportunity to exact her revenge. She uses her powers to raise a storm that shipwrecks them. When Miranda questions this, she tells her the story of their arrival on the island and assures her that no real harm will come to the survivors.
The shipwrecked travelers are separated. At Prospera's bidding, the invisible Ariel directs their wanderings. She leads Ferdinand, the King's son, to Prospera's cell, where he and Miranda fall instantly in love. Prospera sets heavy tasks to test Ferdinand.
Murderous Plots
The King of Naples searches for his son, although fearing him to be drowned. Sebastian, the king's sister, plots to kill him and seize the crown. The drunken butler, Stephano, and the jester, Trinculo, encounter Caliban and are persuaded by him to kill Prospera so that they can rule the island. However, Ariel manages to make mischief between them, and they are soon bickering among themselves.
Blessings of Marriage
Satisfied that Ferdinand has met all her challenges, Prospera presents the young couple with a betrothal masque celebrating chastity and the blessings of marriage. She is distracted from this, however, when she remembers Caliban's plot.
The Ending
If you don't want to know how it ends, stop reading now!
As Prospera's plan draws to its climax, she vows that upon its completion, she will abandon her magic arts. Ariel brings Alonso and his followers to the cell, and Prospera, in her own persona as Duchess of Milan, confronts her enemies and forgives them. In the betrothal of Ferdinand and Miranda, the rift between Naples and Milan is healed.
Finally, Prospera grants Ariel her freedom and prepares to leave the island for Milan and her restored dukedom.
As a Black American theatre artist, it is my instinctual responsibility to analyze, critique, and conceptualize art with race at the forefront of my perspective. This is a fact that is simultaneously my burden and my privilege. The Tempest is not a play directly about race, but more so an allegory of European exploration, exploitation, and imperialism in the 1600s. This is a very recognizable picture to the American audience. The transatlantic slave trade was at its height in the 17th century as Shakespeare is writing The Tempest. So, it is undeniable to me that the play is Shakespeare’s commentary on colonization. To highlight this, I intentionally cast the role of Caliban with a Black man, kept all master/slave dialogue in the text, and brought the island to life in a collaboration with the Q-Kidz (Home | Q-Kidz), which is a Black dance troupe that portrays the ancestral presence of the island and an extension of Caliban’s consciousness and emotional state. My production of The Tempest is meant to be Caliban-centered, highlighting the fact that he represents the colonized indigenous.
Sylvester Little plays the role of Caliban. He uses various physicality and speech patterns to portray Caliban as a reptilian monster who possesses human-like characteristics; especially the desire for freedom and cunning wit. He manipulates King Alonso’s drunken butler, Stephano, into plotting to murder Prospera, so that he can be free of her as his master. Caliban convinces Stephano that if he kills Prospera, he will become the king of the island and take Prospera’s daughter, Miranda as his queen. At the end of the production, Prospera forgives Caliban for plotting her murder and gives him her magical coat. Caliban exits into Prospera’s cell holding the coat and the two of them share a final look. This final interaction symbolizes Prospera giving Caliban ownership of the island and power to govern it. The island belonged to him before Prospera arrived and made him a slave to her and her daughter Miranda. Little plays the line “I had peopled else this isle with Calibans” (The Tempest, 1.2) thoughtfully, after Prospera accuses him of “[violating] the honour of [her] child.” (The Tempest, 1.2) Little in his performance, emotes the despair that comes with missing the opportunity to continue his genetic lineage as opposed to portraying a savage beast who’s intention is to assault a young woman.
Shakespeare’s Caliban is written to be a punishable, beaten, and a naïve slave, who is looking for a master to serve. He is powerless and the abuse he endures at the hands of the drunken Stephano and Trinculo (King Alonso’s jester) is meant to be comedic to the Elizabethean audience. I directed Little to portray Caliban as a rebellious slave who fights back. He plays manipulation rather than drunk and unassuming. The rest of the characters in the show no longer refer to Caliban as a fish, a monster, or a devil in the end of the play. He exits to Prospera’s cell holding the magical coat with a sense of power and ownership of what is rightfully his. Caliban’s final moment in the show is him dancing, with the spirits of the island following his every step. Caliban’s story ends with power and a celebration of freedom, rather than punishment.
My biggest inspiration for the aesthetic of this production of The Tempest stems from my experience in the Bahamas. I was attending a Shakespeare conference that took place at Paradise Island, a luxurious resort in Nassau. All of the conference attendees were Shakespeare theatre practitioners or enthusiasts. We were at the conference to experience Caribbean classical theatre and learn from our peers. I felt some irony in the fact that we were there to learn from and yet be served by the Bahamian people. We observed and analyzed Bahamian art, but we also thoroughly wined and dined with Bahamian hotel employees at our service. When I was asked to direct The Tempest last year, I knew I wanted to create this land on stage, where people’s blood, sweat, and tears were shed fighting for their independence from European colonizers. The set has a Caribbean feel to it and is littered with the belongings of tourists. I was inspired to create a layered world, with natural vegetation showing off the natural beauty of the island combined with a sense of urbanization, which comes through in use of projections and the Q-Kidz costumes marked with graffiti. King Alonso’s court, which includes his sister Sebastian, Prospera’s brother Antonio, his advisor Gonzalo, Stephano and Trinculo, are all costumed in the chic modern vacation attire, inspired by the hit HBO show, “The White Lotus.” Although the King’s court is washed up onto this island in a sea storm, they cannot help but to endeavor to take ownership of the island. The production paints a picture of modern colonization and draws parallels to gentrification, while also highlighting the beauty of human beings’ natural desire and ability to leave things behind and let things go.
Written by Candice Handy, Director of The Tempest and CSC's Associate Artistic Director
FRIENDS OF THE COMPANY
“With one ‘we thank you,’ many millions more…”
The Winter’s Tale, Act I, Scene ii
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company extends thanks to the following individuals and organizations for their generous support. The following gifts were received by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 or pledged to the 2023 – 2024 Season. Giving Levels are exclusive of Capital Campaign donations. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. If you see an error, please accept our sincere apology and contact Sara Clark at 513-381-2273, ext. 3208.
Illustrious and Inspiring, $50,000+
ArtsWave
The Estate of Dava Lynn Biehl
John Bridgeland and Maureen Fallon Bridgeland
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation
Cynthia Crilley
Fifth Third Foundation
Patricia and Calvin Linnemann
Debby and Jim Mason
Ohio Arts Council
Robert & Adele Schiff Family Foundation
Alice Scovell
Benevolent and Bold, $25,000-49,000
Anonymous, in memory of our mom Kathy
Mrs. L.L. Browning
Charles H. Dater Foundation
Martin Chavez
Eleanora C. U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee
Johnson Investment Counsel, Inc.
The Limestone Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts in Partnership with Arts Midwest
P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Cass and Glenn Plott
Shubert Foundation
Don and Linda Tecklenburg
Donna and Robert Welch
Gallant and Glamorous, $10,000 - $24,999
Diane Adamec
Andrew Jergens Foundation
BlankRome/Monteverdi Tuscany
Foster and Motley
Johnson Charitable Gift Fund
Marcie and Jim Kinney
John and Betsy LaMacchia
Martha Holden Jennings Foundation
The McElroy Family
Judge Mark and Mrs. Sue Ann Painter
PNC Bank
Vicky and Rick Reynolds
Ruth J. and Robert A. Conway Foundation
Rosemary and Mark Schlachter
The Thomas J. Emery Memorial
Laura and Tayfun Tuzun
Western & Southern Financial Group
Richard and Debbie Westheimer
Avowed and Audacious, $5,000 - $9,999
Brian and Elizabeth Coley
Sally and Joel Davenport
David and Kelley Downing
Rance and Marilyn Duke
Rick and Melissa Eder
Eva Jane Romaine Coombe Fund for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
EY
Fifth Third Bank
Frost Brown Todd LLC
The Gumbleton Family
Mark and Marcy Kanter
Key Bank
Jean and Charles Lauterbach
Messer Construction Co.
Chris Nare and Lori Rappold