THE TEMPEST by William Shakespeare, directed by Kirsten Brandt, Shakespeare Santa Cruz
Choreography by Patty Gallagher. Scenic Design by Jedediah Ike. Costume Design byBrandon Baron. Lighting Design by David Lee Cuthbert. original music by John Zeretzke. Sound Designer Ryan Gastelum, Stage Managed by Jessica C. Bomball, Dramaturg Michael Warren, Dialect and Voice Coach Christine Adaire, Assistant director Wolfgang Wachalovsky Photo: Steve DiBartolomeo
Cast: Jame R. Winker as Prospero, Doug Jennings, Grant Gerard, Kenneth Albers, Ian Merrill Peakes, Leith Burke, Nick Ullett, Barbra Suiter, Aric Martin, Omar Ricks, Jon Liddiard, Daniel Ryan Bechner, Alvaro Mendoza, Daniel T. Parker, Shashona Brooks, Christine Sage Behrens, Jenni Putney.
PRESS:
Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a rich and magical play, overflowing with mythopoetic elements. The current production in Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s outdoor festival glen is an elegant and highly enjoyable experience that brings great clarity and comedy to this often complex and multilayered story… Themes of freedom, forgiveness and redemption mitigate his [Prospero’s] bitterness, and director Kirsten Brandt handles the final resolution of the play with exceptional depth and compassion . –The Metro
There is less razzle-dazzle, but more humanity in Kirsten Brandt’s soulful and engaging 2007 production. She allows plenty of room for broad comedy and playful spectacle. But she also understands that the crux of the play is the complex pas-de-troix between the magician Prospero, his “monstrous” and abused slave, Caliban, and his beloved (but still enslaved) spirit Ariel; the trio becomes the heart of her production….. yet is the tender gesture Brandt devises by which Prospero and Caliban appear to forgive each other at last as they part. It’s a telling moment of reconciliation that underscores the humanism in this thoughtful, fresh and imaginative production. – Good Times