Stephano (Clara-Liis Hillier) breaks up squabble between the savage monster Caliban (Erich England) and Trinculo the jester (Phillips J. Berns). Photo by Garry Louie, used with permission.
The Portland Actors Ensemble has chosen to kick off its 42nd annual Shakespeare-in-the-Parks summer program with The Tempest in Lovejoy Fountain Park.
This play is well cast with some well-known veterans of the Portland theater community, as well as a couple of newcomers to the stage. Performances by the younger members of the troupe add an extra measure of energy and excitement to the production. And Lovejoy Fountain with its winding stairs, wading pools, steep cliffs, and sharp, jagged stone makes the perfect “natural” setting for this outdoor theater experience.
The cast includes:
Alonso, King of Naples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin S. Martin
Sebastian, his scheming brother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atticus Mowry
Prospero, magician and rightful Duke of Milan . . . . . Mike Dederian
Antonio, his brother and usurper to the throne . . . . . Gregory Heaton
Ferdinand, son to the King of Naples . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy Eggers
Gonzalo, ever faithful Counsellor of Naples . . . . . . . . Mike Nettleton**
Caliban, savage and deformed slave . . . . . . . . . . . . Erich England
Trinculo, court jester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phillip J. Berns
Stephano, drunken butler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clara-Liis Hillier
Miranda, Prospero’s daughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie Hammon
Ariel, an airy spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Martz
Start the summer out right! Treat yourself (and all your friends) to this fun and engaging production of The Tempest performed by the Portland Actors Ensemble. But don’t wait too long! Final performance is Saturday, July 16th. For more information on when and where, please check my previous article.
**Thanks and a tip of the hat to local author Mike Nettleton who gave me the idea for this story. Thanks, Mike!