Review: St. Louis Shakespeare Festival Visits Local Parks with Their Engaging Traveling Production of THE TEMPEST

An well-known quote from Shakespeare’s As You Like It says that “All the world’s a stage.” Does that apply to a public park? A visionary director doesn’t need the four walls of a theater, a stage, or even a proscenium to tell a story. Sometimes a grassy hillside somewhere in Missouri or Illinois works just fine.  

On Sunday evening, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival’s traveling show visited Shaw Park in Clayton. Director Tom Ridgely was on hand to welcome the gathering of hundreds who had assembled with picnic baskets, coolers, blankets, and lawn chairs in tow to enjoy a production of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST.  

Throughout the month of August, Ridgely and his troupe of actors are traveling the bi-state area to bring Shakespeare to the people. At each of the 24-stops The St. Louis Shakespeare festival team presents a streamlined 90-minute production of THE TEMPEST featuring elaborate costumes, inventive set and prop pieces, inspired puppetry, clever sound effects, and a bit of live music and singing. 

There are two words that describe this outstanding production: stagecraft and storytelling. Ridgley, his talented troupe of six actors, and his designers have collaborated to create a fun and engaging production.  

Do not let the name William Shakespeare deter or intimidate you. Before the show starts the audience gets a quick description what happens in THE TEMPEST. Each cast member introduces themselves and tells a bit about the characters they play. They make The Bard's work easy to enjoy, even for a novice. 

Four of the six actors handle dual roles with one covering three roles. They impress with their physicality and their colloquial delivery of the Shakespearean dialogue. Each adopts unique identifiable physical attributes for their characters and execute on Ridgley’s athletic blocking. They are all at the top of their game creating unforgettable characters.  

The gifted cast includes Joy Christina Turner as Prospero, Alex Daspit as Ferdinand/Alonso, Isaiah Di Lorenzo as Caliban/Gonzalo, Daisy Held as Miranda/Trinculo/Spirit, Aliyah Jacobs as Ariel/Boatswain, and Reginald Pierre as Stephano/Antonio.  

It is not often that an audience gets to witness stagecraft in action. Quick costume changes, sound effects, and scene changes mostly happen offstage or during transitions, but with this production it is all out in the open. The cast uses instruments to add sound effects, move props and set pieces on and off stage, and rush to a clothing rack for quick costume changes. The stagecraft happens right before your eyes and the story flow is continuous. It all adds to the wonder of this delightful outdoor theatrical experience. 

Sam Hayes' functional costume designs are perfect for quick change. The striking costumes for the spirits are colorful, exaggerated, and memorable. Puppet designer Ryan Marshall and puppet fabricator Taylor Abs have created both large and small puppets that propel the story with exceptional creativity. Abs does double duty as props manager, and stage manager Britteny Henry makes the entire production look effortless (which it is not.) 

The sound quality was surprisingly good for a traveling show that plays to audiences of unknown sizes. The large gathering at Shaw Park on Sunday evening filled a large hillside. Even seated near the top of the hill the actors were audible.  

There is opportunity for the director to coach some of the pacing and articulation on the actors’ line delivery. There were moments when the dialogue was tougher to understand because of the actors’ articulation while they were emoting. Overall, sound was not a major issue. It is simply one nitpicky observation about an otherwise wonderful production.  

There are 12 remaining opportunities to catch the traveling tour of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in both Missouri and Illinois: 

August 13, 2024 – Brussels Hertiage Park in Brussels, Illinois 

August 14, 2024 – Chesterfield Amphitheatre in Chesterfield, Missouri 

August 15, 2024 – Ivory Perry Park in St. Louis, Missouri 

August 16, 2024 – City Park in Edwardsville, Illinois 

August 17, 2024 – January-Wabash Park in Ferguson, Missouri 

August 18, 2024 – Bellevue Park Bandstand in Belleville, Illinois  

August 20, 2024 – 370 Lakeside Park Pavilion in St. Peters, Missouri 

August 21, 2024 – Fairground Park in St. Louis 

August 22, 2024 – Tisch Park at Washington University in St. Louis 

August 23, 2024 – Love Bank Park in St. Louis, Missouri 

August 24, 2024 – Hermann Farm in Hermann, Missouri 

August 25, 2024 – Chroma Plaza in The Grove in St. Louis, Missouri 

All performances start at 6:30 P.M. with the introduction of the actors and a brief description of the play. Admission is free. Click the link below for more information or visit stlshakes.org.  

To post a comment, you must register and login.