Asbury Theatre Presents The Tempest

October 15, 2024

Find an escape from the tensions of today’s world with Asbury University’s production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, a captivatingly refreshing theatre experience. The Asbury University Theatre Department opens this imaginative retelling of Shakespeare’s final fantastical comedy-drama on November 7-16 at the Greathouse Theatre for two weekends of performances. Tickets are $10 for students and senior citizens, $12 for faculty and staff, and $15 general admission. Group rates are also available by contacting Theatre Program Director Kris Dietrich.

The Tempest is a spellbinding tale of magic, vendettas, young love, family bonds, and the power of forgiveness. Prospero, a once-powerful wizard and noble, is banished by his treacherous brother Antonio to live on a deserted island with his daughter Miranda. Prospero plots to take vengeance on his enemies by conjuring a ferocious storm at sea, shipwrecking the motley crew of royals and fools. Bedlam and hilarity soon break loose as love ignites, competing revenge schemes go awry, and a series of mistaken identities whirl. At the climax of the chaos, Prospero must choose between retribution or his daughter’s newfound love for the young noble Ferdinand. Each choice carries a cost.

Written toward the end of his career, The Tempest is an uncommon example of Shakespeare moving beyond the strict confines of comedy or tragedy to invent an entirely new dramatic form. Guest Director and Visiting Theatre Professor, Harvey Johnson, breathes new life into the Bard’s most musical play reimagining it for a 21st-century audience. In a collaboration with set designer and Asbury University Theatre Program Director Kris Dietrich, Johnson has created a fantastical, other-worldly backdrop for this story.

“Like the exiles and castaways in the story, we want the audience to be transported,” said Johnson. “As people enjoy the story world that Shakespeare created, they become more open to the power of forgiveness to mend divisions in the real world.”

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Johnson earned a BFA in Acting from Kent State University and an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University. Following graduation from Kent State with a newfound faith in Jesus Christ, he spent several years acting in amateur and professional theatres in Cleveland. It was during these years that he founded the theatre training and performance organization, Doma Productions, Inc., chartered to showcase faith in the arts.

The Tempest features a talented Asbury student cast which include Bruce Deerfield playing Prospero, Bek Askey as Ariel, Kaylyn Love Wilson as Miranda, Jack Johnson as Ferdinand, and Austin Mays as Caliban, with a strong support cast playing shipwrecked sailors, villainous family members, sea nymphs, clueless royals, and more.

The Asbury University Theatre Program has a rich and creative performance tradition. Students find opportunities to develop acting techniques for stage and screen, proficiency in directing, and in-demand stage production skills. Asbury Theatre students have gained international experience participating in acting intensives at The Globe Theatre in London and performing original plays at the renowned Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland.