The Tempest

Be advised that this production of The Tempest contains loud sounds, violent dog barking and growling, as well as the use of flashing lights throughout the performance.

Directing The Tempest with a company of seven females and five males presented a unique challenge, as the play traditionally features only one significant female role. My goal was to honor Shakespeare’s text while creatively integrating the large female presence in a thematically meaningful way.

One of The Tempest’s central themes is reconciliation—embodied in Prospero’s decision to forgive his treacherous brother, Antonio, rather than seek vengeance. To reinforce this theme, I cast the female actors as symbolic forces of harmony and balance, emphasizing the feminine aspect of nature, in aiding to “calm the storm” of masculine conflict. This approach not only made full use of my available cast but also deepened the play’s exploration of forgiveness and transformation.

A key example of this was Ariel, Prospero’s ethereal spirit-helper (in this production being portrayed by two female actors simultaneously). This choice heightened Ariel’s otherworldly presence and reinforced the idea of spiritual forces guiding the characters toward resolution.

Another challenge was preparing the young actors to deliver Shakespeare’s heightened language effectively. As Shakespeare was a master dramatist, poet, and philosopher, the actors needed to engage fully with the text’s rhythm, meaning, and emotional depth. Through rigorous training and rehearsal, they developed the clarity and confidence necessary to bring the language to life.

Ultimately, this production offered a fresh perspective on The Tempest, highlighting themes of reconciliation while embracing the strengths of the ensemble.

CAST

Karim Angulo is an actor from Washington DC and a senior in the SUNY Purchase BFA acting program. Past roles of note (to his mother) include Peter in Luna Gale, Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia, and Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing. He hopes you enjoy the show. He’s giving me two thumbs up. I think he really means it. 

Issa-Malik Bernard

Leah is excited to be in Yerma with her good talented friends. Her favorite Purchase credits were Gint (Hog Woman) and Luna Gale (Cindy). She is so grateful for her teachers and her classes and to be a senior actor. 

Anthony Costello is a third year BFA actor from North Carolina. Purchase Rep: Intimate Apparel (Mr. Marks), Socrates (Plato), Gint, Back County Crimes. Regional: Master Class and the world premiere of Double Helix at Bay Street Theater, A Christmas Carol with Triad Stage. Shoutout to the production team and Jamie Leonhart!

Oona Gladding is a fourth year BFA actor from NYC. Previous purchase credits include Orpheus Descending (Sister Temple) Back County Crimes (Mrs Scott/Mrs JP Simpson) Gint (Runaway Bride/Devil Woman) Socrates (The Boy) and Luna Gale (Karlie/Lourdes). She would like to thank her wonderful company and her family for their support!

Imani Jones is a fourth year BFA actor from Prince George’s County, MD. Purchase Rep credits include: Things I Know to Be True (Rosie) Intimate Apparel (Mrs. Dickson) Socrates (Anytus / Eryximachus) Gint (Older Man/ Ensemble), Back County Crimes (Doc Autry). Other credits include: The Government Inspector (Anna Andreyevna) Three Sisters (Olga/Maria) She is grateful for all of her family and friends for the continuous support. Much love!

Darren Kinzler (they/them) is a fourth year BFA actor from Hillsborough, New Jersey. Previous Purchase Repertory credits include Back County Crimes (Ensemble), Gint (Pete Gint), Socrates (Socrates), and Luna Gale (Cliff). As Clifford Anderson in Deathtrap, Darren garnered an NJACT Perry Award Nomination. Many thanks to the cast and crew for their support. 

Nora O’Donnell is a fourth year BFA actor from Brooklyn, New York. Purchase Rep credits include: Luna Gale (Caroline), Socrates (Diokles, Archon, Meletus), Gint (Sally Vicks), and Back County Crimes (Multiple characters).
Outside credits include As You Like It (Rosalind) and Oedipus (Chorus). A million thank you’s to her awesome amazing parents!

MisaLove Smith is a fourth year BFA actor from The Bronx and raised in Harlem. Love from 22! Credits include Esther (Intimate Apparel), Socrates (Xanthippe) and #25 (The Wolves). Shoutout to everyone that has supported me on this journey! Only Up From Here!

Em Rose Stern is a fourth year BFA actress from Brooklyn, NY. Purchase credits include Yerma (Yerma), Intimate Apparel (Mrs. Van Buren), Socrates (Crito), and Gint (Oldie Mama). She would like to share her gratitude for her director, Alex, as well as the cast and crew for their love and guidance throughout this journey of Yerma. Additionally, she’d like to share her gratitude for her friends, family, and the rest of Company 49 for their love and guidance throughout this journey of life.

Leanora Octavia Tapper is a fourth year BFA actor from Harlem, New York. Purchase Rep credits include Things I Know To Be True (Pip), Intimate Apparel (Mayme), Socrates (Meno) and Gint (Older Sally Vicks). She gives many thanks to her family and friends who support her unconditionally no matter what. 

Myles Windbush-Soules

PRODUCTION & CREATIVE

Jasmine Alisca

Anna Bonelli

Christian Butts

Analiz Corona

Carly Genovesi

John Hoag is thrilled to share his work as the lighting designer on both fall festivals this year! Other purchase designs Heroes of the Fourth Turning sound design and lighting for 4 dance pieces in Act a Fool. Special thanks to the fall fest 2024 lighting team and everyone’s hard work!

Luca Plitz is a fourth year theatre design/tech major with a concentration in scenic design from Chandler, Arizona. Purchase Rep credits include: The Tempest (Scenic Designer), Orlando (Scenic Designer), Titus Andronicus (Paint Charge) and F*cking A and Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Props Charge). Thank you to his lovely family, friends, and partner, he couldn’t do this without you!

Will Schwerin is a Junior BFA Theater Design/Tech Sound Designer. His past credits include The Seagull (Sound Designer) The Tempest (Sound Designer) Orlando (Sound Designer) Titus Andronicus (Assistant Sound Designer) Machinal (Sound Designer). He would like to thank Sunny, Matt and the rest of DT for making this a possibility. He would also like to thank his family and friends for their support. 

Jagger Vera

Ollie Webb

Elmore James is a theatre director, musical theatre performer, opera singer (having worked both in the United States and in Europe), as well as an acting and musical theater coach. He is a veteran of five Broadway shows. He has sung in many classical music venues, such as Carnegie Hall , the Metropolitan Opera House and the opera houses of Italy, Germany, France and Scandinavia. He has directed everything from Shakespeare, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter and Lanford Wilson, to musicals by Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, George Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Weber. He has directed many plays off-Broadway , at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase , at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland, at Stephens College , and at the Mynt Teatern in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the founder and artistic director for an acting company he founded in Munich, Germany called the Münchner Ensemble Theatre . He was also resident director at the Urban Arts Theater in New York City, which was the home of many great Broadway hit musicals, all directed by Vinnette Carroll, whom he assisted both on and off-Broadway. His career spans over forty years. He was trained at the High School of Performing Arts , at SUNY Purchase (where he was a member of the first graduating theater class), at the Juilliard School , and for many years he was under the mentorship of the great Broadway director and co-founder of The Actors Studio , Robert Lewis. At the age of 17, he wrote and directed his first musical that later helped to inspire the idea for the film Fame , for which he was awarded a director’s medal from the School of Performing Arts in NYC, where he was a theater student.

In our teaching and art, the Conservatory values inclusiveness, equality, and excellence. Upholding all of our training is our aim to train and graduate citizen artists: multifaceted people with a strong sense of purpose in approaching an arts education.

What is a citizen artist? Citizen artists seek to discover how their unique voices can contribute to our world. They understand what it means to be an artist, and what they are here on earth to say and do and make.

The Conservatory trains future citizen artists in three degree programs:

+ BFA Actor Training. The BFA is an intensive professional training program offered to a highly select and diverse group of students. The professional training is anchored in four years of study in acting, voice, speech, and movement, complemented by offerings in dramatic literature and analysis, history of the theatre, stage combat, improvisation, mask work, acting for the camera, and the business of acting. As one of five schools in the Consortium of Professional Theatre Training Programs, Purchase is one of a handful of colleges in the world capable of training artists at this level—and of drawing a faculty from the ranks of professional theatre

+ BFA in Theatre Design/Technology. Emphasizing studio and classroom training, our professional training program in theatre design/technology gives students the guidance and support of established and theatre industry professionals. Many of our alumni are recognized at the top of their field, and have received Tony, Emmy, Obie, and Drama Desk Awards, among other honors. Quite literally, Purchase grads are working in or have worked in every theatre on Broadway, in all tristate venues, and with countless touring productions

+ BA program in Theatre and Performance. From traditional theatre to cutting-edge interdisciplinary work, the theatre and performance major encourages creativity, intellectual curiosity, social engagement, and critical thinking. The core requirements combine scholarship and practice to provide students with a strong foundation in theatre history and dramatic literature, with mandatory stagecraft/production courses. Theatre and Performance majors are encouraged to expand the scope of their education by studying abroad, as well as pursuing coursework in other programs of study within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Purchase College.