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Redwood City was gushing with vibrant colors, music, drama and laughter as San Francisco Shakespeare Festival brought its production of “The Tempest” to Red Morton Park on Sat., Aug.18.
“I’ve always thought that they have some of the best design and directorial work,” said Rory Kinsolving, a Redwood City resident. “I’ve been coming to see them since I was a little kid.”
SF Shakes is celebrating 42 years of Free Shakespeare in the Park as a part of its mission to make Shakespeare accessible to everyone in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. The outdoor setting allows residents to see professional theater free of charge. Their latest production features “The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s mystical island odyssey, from Aug. 10 through Aug. 25. They offer 6:00 pm shows on Saturdays and Sundays.
Over 350 people of all age groups came to the community center to watch the play with their friends and families, bringing lawn chairs, picnic blankets and food to enjoy the experience.
“I feel like this play in particular is really good for all ages. Kids like the drunken sailors and the fairy. Teenagers love the love story. And the adults love the speeches and the villainy,” said Kevin Clarke, who plays Ariel, Gonzalo and Juno. “So there’s a little bit of something for everybody.”
“The Tempest” is thought to be Shakespeare’s last solo written play. It narrates the story of Prospero and his daughter Miranda, who are cast away at sea due to the envious schemes of Prospero’s brother. They find themselves on an island filled with magical creatures, and Prospero uses magic to rule the land. The plot thickens when a storm brings Prospero’s brother and co-conspirators to the island. The play showcases comedic shipwrecked sailors and explores the themes of revenge and forgiveness.
While choosing which play to perform for their 42nd anniversary, SF Shakes invited directors from the Bay Area to pitch a play that resonated deeply with them. As explained by Carla Pantoja, the Festival’s Artistic Director, this method allowed the team to find a project driven by genuine passion.
“The Tempest” emerged as a recurring choice during the interviews, mentioned by three different directors. The repetition signaled a collective desire to revisit Shakespeare’s classic. But it wasn’t just the play that stood out. Rotimi Agbabiaka impressed the selection committee with his vision of “The Tempest.”
Agbabiaka’s version of the play highlights the themes of forgiveness and recovery from loss. He asks the audience to find the humanity in all the characters they meet.
“I’ve worked with Rotimi in the past and he’s such an incredibly creative human being,” said Pantoja.
Rehearsals took place in San Francisco, where the set’s dimensions were marked out on the floor. Practice began with the tempest itself—the play’s dramatic storm. With the help of a percussionist, the cast experimented with sound, movements, and visual effects to capture the tempest’s intensity. A speech coach helped the cast with the language and rhythm of Shakespeare’s writing.
“This is my first production with SF Shakes and it’s a very strong company culture. It’s very supportive,” Clarke added. “It’s invested in everybody…in the whole company, in front of stage and backstage.”
After the final weekend in Redwood City on August 24 and 25, the group will perform at the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in SF’s McLaren Park on Sep. 2, 7 and 8. All shows will be at 2 p.m.
“I thought the actors did such a wonderful job,” said Joyce Wu, a resident of Redwood City. “This is my first time seeing them but I’ll definitely come back.”
