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BRUSSELS/EDWARDSVILLE/BELLEVILLE - The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival will cross the river to bring “The Tempest” to three local parks.
On Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, audiences can stop by Brussels Heritage Park in Brussels to catch the show. The production will return to the Riverbend on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, at City Park in Edwardsville, then on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, at Bellevue Park in Belleville. The show runs from 6:30–8 p.m. and is completely free for audiences to attend.
“Whatever barriers there might be, we want to just swat those out of the way,” explained Producing Artistic Director Tom Ridgely. “If it’s the cost of the ticket, forget about that. If it’s a river or a bridge or a road that you’re not used to crossing over, we’ll go ahead and cross that ourselves and meet you where you are. We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to just try it out if they haven’t tried it out before.”
Ridgley explained that “The Tempest” is Shakespeare’s last play, and the playwright “threw a little bit of everything” into the story. Romance, comedy and magic abound in this production. Ridgley is especially excited for the puppets, including a 12-foot puppet that towers over the stage.
The actors and crew members of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival understand that Shakespeare’s plays can feel overwhelming to audiences. The outdated language can be a barrier. But Ridgely explained that they make it a fun experience so everybody in the audience can enjoy their evening.
The show starts with a “living study guide,” so the characters come out and introduce themselves, give a synopsis of the play, and explain who the protagonists and villains are. The performance itself has been shortened to 90 minutes, so it’s more accessible to audiences. Ridgely believes it’s an exciting production for everyone who decides to come.
“The idea is if Shakespeare was something you just read in high school and it was a little bit boring or intimidating, this is for you,” he said. “We cut it down to 90 minutes so it’s short and fast…It’s fast and it’s funny and it’s lively and it’s early so you can be home by a little after 8, and it’s in your neighborhood so it’s close and easy to get to. You don’t have to drive or worry about parking. So that’s the idea — make it easy for families and everybody to enjoy.”
Ridgely said that the actors have been rehearsing for a month leading up to the show, and they then travel to parks throughout the Greater St. Louis region to share their performance with audiences. He is excited to return to the Riverbend area and introduce Shakespeare in the Park to new communities, and he hopes the production inspires something in audiences, whether that’s appreciation for the writing or a love of theater.
“I think it’s just the pride that folks feel that something cool is happening in their neighborhood and their park is as much about it as anything for us,” he added. “We watch young people get excited and their eyes light up and they really lock in when those puppets come out. We hope we inspire them to maybe be performers or just be inspired by the beauty of these stories, which have stood the test of time for 400 years.”
For more information about the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, including their traveling productions of “The Tempest,” visit STLShakes.org.
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