Presented in partnership with San José State University
January 23 – February 7, 2015
THE FINAL PERFORMANCE IS SOLD OUT. THANK YOU!!
Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sundays at 1:00pm
Synopsis
The Tempest
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Dinna Myers
Rating: E for Everyone
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a learnéd duke named Prospero and his innocent child were set adrift by a sinister sister and a greedy king, and found themselves exiled on a mysterious land. Now, twelve years later, providence is leading these treacherous villains and the rest of their sailing party right toward that very isle and into Prospero’s powerful clutches. Prospero commands the elements to wash his enemies’ ship ashore his enchanted island, where he plans to alter the fate of all. Have these evil usurpers finally met their match? Old scores are settled, plots are thwarted, romance blooms, comedy ensues, and magic reigns supreme in a land where magic and humanity collide.
Meet the Artists
| Photo | Artist and Roles | Biography |
|---|---|---|
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Larry Barrott Prospero |
The Tempest marks Larry's seventh appearance on Silicon Valley Shakespeare's stages, most recently appearing as Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Other roles include Henry in The Lion in Winter, Hamlet's father in Hamlet, and Philostrate in SVS's first production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Larry served as Artistic Director for SVS from 2005-2012 and has been with the company for 11 years. |
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Natalie Barshow Costume Designer |
Natalie is excited to be with SVS again, previously working as Assistant Costume Designer on Tartuffe and Wardrobe Manager on Othello and Pride and Prejudice. Recently, she has worked at San José State University as Accessories Designer and performed in The Grapes of Wrath. Other SJSU credits include Stage Manager on Macbeth and The Swimmer. She is the Technical Director of SPOTLITE Stage Co. and a senior Theatre Arts Major at SJSU. |
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Nicholas Boucher Francisco |
Nicholas is ecstatic to return for a second season with Silicon Valley Shakespeare! After first performing in last season’s co-production of Tartuffe, Nicholas went on to dress in drag in Taming of the Shrew, sword fight in Othello, and dance in Pride and Prejudice. Other recent shows include The Grapes of Wrath at San José State University and SVS’s 48-Hour Play Festival. |
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Amber Bucher Makeup/Hair Assistant |
This is Amber’s first show with Silicon Valley Shakespeare and she is very excited to be part of such a talented team. In past years, Amber has been in Beauty and the Beast and Guys and Dolls, and is currently a senior at SJSU pursuing a Creative Arts degree. Amber is passionate about costuming and hair and makeup design, and is thrilled to contribute to the magic of the show. |
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William Corkery Trinculo |
The Tempest will be William's first show with Silicon Valley Shakespeare. Originally from San Diego, William is a student at San José State University. His past roles include Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Otto in Spring Awakening, and William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. |
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April Culver Miranda |
April holds a BFA in Acting from Drake University. This is her first show with SVS and she is very excited to be a part of such a talented team. Her favorite roles include Desdemona in Othello (Iowa Shakespeare Experience), Ophelia in Hamlet (Little Apple Creek Theatre) and Viola in Twelfth Night (Drake University). She’d like to thank her amazing family for their constant love, humor, and support. |
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Lucinda Dobinson Understudy - Gonzala |
Lucinda has been with SVS for numerous years, playing good guys, bad guys, and everything in between. Most recently you would have seen her in The Taming of the Shrew at Willow Street Park, where she played Grumio. Other roles include Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, and Goneril in King Lear" She holds both a BA and MA from San José State University in Theatre Arts. |
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Alex Draa Ferdinand |
Alex is delighted to make a return with Silicon Valley Shakespeare Company. Alex is an acting student at SJSU and has been acting for about 12 years. He recently played Cassio in SVS’s Othello, Doctor Zubritsky in Neil Simon’s Fools, Hubert/Tribe member in Hair and Guy, Montag in Farhenheit 451, as well as other representative stage work through the Las Positas College Theater program. He would like to thank his family and friends for their incredible support. |
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Alyssa Esquilin Spirit of Water |
Alyssa is a senior at San José State University. She is most well-known from her performance as Margie in SJSU’s production of Loose Knit, but was more recently in a small, but exciting, production of Boiling People in My Coffee. Alyssa loves being on stage and feels that she is her best self when performing. She holds an AS in Theatre Arts from Modesto Junior College, and is currently working on her BA. |
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Angie Higgins Artistic Director |
Angie serves as SVS’s Artistic Director and in past seasons has directed Pride and Prejudice, King Lear, As You Like It, and The Taming of the Shrew. As an actor, some of her favorite roles on the SVS stage include Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the 1st Witch in Macbeth, and Beline in The Imaginary Invalid. Angie holds a BA in Creative Arts and an MA in Theatre Arts Education from SJSU. |
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Kyle Hoffhines Assistant Director
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Kyle is delighted to return to Silicon Valley Shakespeare as The Tempest’s assistant director. Last season, Kyle acted in SVS’s The Taming of the Shrew and Pride and Prejudice, as well as assistant stage managing both Othello and Tartuffe. A senior at San José State University, Kyle acts, directs, and writes for both film and stage. He hopes you enjoy the show! |
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Kevin Jasper Adrian |
Kevin is very excited for his first show with Silicon Valley Shakespeare! After transferring from Monterey Peninsula College, his passion for acting led him to SJSU as a Theatre Arts major. He was recently seen as Slim in Oklahoma with MPC Theatre. This is his first Shakespeare production since playing Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in middle school! Kevin would like to thank his family for their continued support. |
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Drew Benjamin Jones Caliban |
The Tempest is Drew's second show with SVS, having previously appeared in Taming of the Shrew as Tranio. Drew graduated from San José State University with a BA in Theatre Arts and was awarded the Hal Todd Award for Excellence in Acting. He has performed with Renegade Theatre Experiment, City Lights, San Jose Repertory, Los Gatos Shakespeare, Spartan Productions, Dragon Productions, SJSU, and more. Drew thanks SVS and SJSU for the wonderful opportunity, and you for supporting live theatre! |
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Anne Kobori Ariel |
Anne is an actor, playwright, costume designer, and teaching artist. She is thrilled to be returning to SVS, where she recently played Desdemona in Othello. Other memorable roles include: Sochi in A Message, Queen Anne in The Three Musketeers, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. She is currently performing in the Bay Area Children's Theatre school tour Labcoats and Scapegoats. Anne is the founder/artistic director of UTOPIA Theatre Project. BA, Santa Clara University. |
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Dinna Myers Director |
Dinna is a founder of SVS and has been with the comany since its inception. She has served as Director on As You Like It (2000), Much Ado About Nothing (2002), Hamlet (2004), The Merry Wives of Windsor (2005), The Tempest (2007), Twelfth Night (2008), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (2010), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2011), and The Lion in Winter (2012). She has been a Bay Area lighting designer for almost three decades and also works as Director of Sales and Marketing for Musson Theatrical. She is honored to break her staff and lay down her books on this production of The Tempest. |
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Dan O'Connell Alonso |
Dan is delighted to be in this production with SVS. He has appeared in various roles in local theatre including Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, King Henry VIII in A Man For All Seasons, Detective Quintana in Viva Cristo Rey!, and King Charles II in Plunkett. Dan Holds a BA degree in Theatre Arts from SJSU and an MS in Real Estate from the University of Denver. |
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Akemi Okamura Gonzala |
Akemi is thrilled to be returning to Silicon Valley Shakespeare for their 2015 season! Past roles with SVS include Charlotte Lucas (Pride and Prejudice) and Lodovico/Senator (Othello)..Other Bay Area credits include Cassandra in Troilus and Cressida (Impact Theatre), Melissa in The Drunken City (Renegade Theatre Experiment), and a Phantom in The Rocky Horror Show (City Lights Theater Company). Akemi holds a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Puget Sound. |
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Doll Piccotto Antonia |
Doll has been with Silicon Valley Shakespeare since its first production, portraying Feste in Twelfth Night. Since then she has appeared in many roles, including Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, the Chorus in Henry V, and in last year's co-production with SJSU where she played Dorine in Tartuffe. She is thrilled to return to her alma mater, where she received an MA in English Literature. Doll also gets her Shakespeare nerd on in her role as SVS's dramaturg. This is a special production for Doll as she assistant directed Dinna Myers' first Shakespeare production, Northside Theatre's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and now has come full circle with this special woman as she drowns her books and sets off into the great unknown. May magic always follow you, Dinna. |
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Matthew Regan Boatswain |
Matt is a San José native, student, actor, and comedian. He has previously participated in productions with Children’s Musical Theater, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Shrek the Musical, and Side Show. Matt also participates in local open mics at Caffe Frascati, Art Boutiki, and Rooster T. Feathers. Matt Regan is also studying theatre at San José State University and was cast in their recent productions of The Giver and Marat/Sade. |
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Sharon Salazar Spirit of the Earth |
Sharon is a veteran of Silicon Valley Shakespeare, having been a member, on and off stage, since 1999, and is excited to be back on the SVS stage after seven long years! Currently, she works as SVS’s resident summer camp instructor..She received her BA and teaching credential in English with a minor in Theatre Performance from SJSU..During the day, she works as the Director of Activities at Prospect High School..Some of her favorite roles include The Woman (Death of a Salesman), Essie (You Can't Take It With You), Escalus (Measure for Measure) and Beth (Little Women). |
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Andrew Simchik Sebastian |
Since 2002, Andrew has been an improviser at ComedySportz San José, where he also teaches classes and develops and directs several long-form shows such as Much Improv About Nothing, a fully improvised Shakespeare play. He is grateful to Silicon Valley Shakespeare for granting him his first opportunity to perform words Shakespeare actually wrote. Andrew also played the title role in the Stanford Savoyards’ 2014 production of The Mikado. |
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Juli Spence Assistant Stage Manager |
Juli is a transfer student from De Anza Community College and graduated with a degree in liberal arts. Last semester she transferred to San José State University, where was Assistant Stage Manager for both Wuthering Heights and Marat Sade. She is majoring in Theater Arts with an emphasis in technical theater. |
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Christopher Tani Stage Manager |
Christopher is returning to Silicon Valley Shakespeare after a one year sabbatical. His recent credits include stage managing The Odd Couple and Noel Coward’s Present Laughter at Summer Repertory Theatre, and production managing Camino Real, Margery and Me,and They Are Dying Out. Christopher has worked on seven of the last eight Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies in Sochi, Russia and London, England. His SVS stage management credits include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and production management for the 2011 and 2013 summer seasons. |
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Jenafer Thompson Spirit of Fire |
Since her early childhood years, Jenafer has always been passionate about the performing arts. In high school, her favorite roles included the Witch in Hansel and Gretel and Diana in I Love You Because. At San José State, she has portrayed the roles of the Stepmother in Into the Woods, Cathy Linton in Wuthering Heights, and Simonne Evrard in Marat/ Sade. In the spring of 2015, she will hold a BA in Theatre Performance. |
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David Toda Stephano |
David Toda is once again happy to be returning as one of Silicon Valley Shakespeare's veteran artists. "SVS has been and continues to be a warm and inviting group for me to explore my creativity and offer to the audience some of my best work." David's MFA from Academy of Art in San Francisco (2009) adds to his 35 years of education. He also works as an actor, director, producer, writer, and acting coach. |
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Ting-Na Wang Scenic Designer |
Ting-Na is grateful to be designing her first show with SVS. She holds a B.A. in Studio Arts from SJSU, where she received the J. Wendell Johnson Award for Excellence in Stage Design for Nerds with Company One. Recent credits include prop design for The Great American Trailer Park Musical and Fox on the Fairway (Los Altos Stage Company) and The Norwegians (Renegade Theater Experiment), and scenic painting for Cats, Spamalot, and Shrek (Children's Musical Theater), and Don Giovanni and Rigoletto (Opera San Jose). |
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Adam Weinstein Sound Designer
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Adam has worked as a sound designer with Silicon Valley Shakespeare since 2008. Some of his favorite work with SVS includes Pride and Prejudice, Pericles, Much Ado About Nothing, and As You Like It. Other productions he has worked on include Educating Rita at Northside Theatre, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and The Children's Hour at Broadway West. He was recently seen onstage at Broadway West in It's a Wonderful Life. |
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Melissa Weinstein Hair and Makeup Designer |
After eight seasons, Melissa’s assorted SVS hats include makeup designer, actor, assistant director, and Education Program Director. Since receiving her BA in Theatre from SJSU, she’s moonlighted as a makeup designer/artist for companies such as SVS, Pixar, Disney Channel UK, West Bay Opera, and Opera San Jose. Favorite SVS acting roles include Emilia (Othello), Oswald (King Lear), Hero (Much Ado), Phoebe (AYLI), and Ariel (Tempest); and in a previous life, she “daylighted” as a Bay Area children’s theatre teacher/director. |
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Tempest
How much are tickets?
Tickets range in price from $10.00 for SJSU students, $15 for seniors (65+), and $20.00 general admission. Prices include all service costs — no hidden fees! Tickets are available online and at the box office.
How long is the performance?
The Tempest runs approximately 2.5 hours and includes a 15 minute intermission.
About Hal Todd Studio Theatre Productions
What time are the performances?
Performances begin at 8:00pm Wednesday – Saturday Evenings and at 1:00pm on Sundays.
What time does the Box Office open?
The Box Office is located inside Hugh Gillis Hall and opens one hour before show time.
What time does the house open for seating?
The house opens 1/2 hour before show time.
Where should I park?
Street parking is available and meters run Monday – Saturday until 6:00pm. There is a parking garage on the corner of Fourth and San Fernando Streets that charges a flat fee of $5.00 after 6pm.
Will concessions be available?
We will have snacks, water, and soda available for sale before the performance and during intermission.
Even though kids can attend for free, do they still need a ticket?
Absolutely! That is the only way we can control inventory and know if a performance is actually sold out.
Can I drop my child off and pick them up after the play?
One adult is required for every six children in attendance. SVS can not accept responsibility for children left unattended.
Family Rating System
The Tempest – E for Everyone
There is very little of concern in this text for parents. The humor is not particularly bawdy, unlike many of Shakespeare’s plays, and there is no overt sexual content. The only potentially difficult material is talk about Caliban’s attempts to take advantage of young Miranda. Parents who are curious about the content of this play can read a translation very similar to our script here.
About the Family Rating System
Silicon Valley Shakespeare endeavors to make theatrical classics enjoyable and accessible to as wide an audience as possible. Families love to attend our plays, and we’re proud to have introduced thousands of young people to the Bard. In order to assist parents and guardians in assessing which of our plays may be right for their children, we offer a Parental Advisory that features a general rating followed by a more nuanced recommendation and description of the content. Since our assessment can’t possibly fit every family, we also offer a link to the actual text of our plays whenever possible so that parents can make their own decision. Our ratings are:
E for Everyone — Self-explanatory.
PG for Parental Guidance — This play is appropriate for most audiences under 13, but we recommend that parents inform themselves with the content of the play and its themes, and exercise their best judgment for their individual child.
T for Teen — This production may be inappropriate for audiences under 13. Parents of younger children are welcome to attend with their children, but we recommend that they prepare for any questions their children may have about some of the more sophisticated and mature content and themes of the play and its particular presentation.
M for Mature — This play is not recommended for audiences under 17.
A note about very young children: Infants and toddlers are always welcome at all outdoor plays, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer newer parents an opportunity to enjoy live theatre. We do ask that at least one parent or guardian of these tiny theatergoers be prepared to take a break with them outside the immediate theatre space if they become upset or very vocal.
SPONSORED IN PART BY
Donors Circle
Enjoy ticket discounts, special events, cozy blankets and seat cushions, free beverages, and other great perks. All while you help support SVS – it’s 100% tax-deductible. Become a part of our Donors Circle today!
PRESS & MEDIA
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