Teacher Resources - The Tempest

The Tempest
by William Shakespeare
adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller
songs by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan
choreography by Matt Kent, Pilobolus

Study Guide and Program Notes

PDF: Study Guide
Get insights into Shakespeare and this unique production.

PDF: Program
Learn more about the production, cast & creative team.

Stories

It's All in the Cards
Nate Dendy tells us about his love for magic, card tricks and how his preshow performance is a little bit like jazz.

A Little Bit of Rough Magic
Singer Miche Braden admits she wasn’t a Tom Waits fan before The Tempest; but she has grown respect for him.

Who’s Who and What’s What in The Tempest
There’s the magician seeking revenge, his beautiful daughter, her love and magic. It’s The Tempest. Adapted by Aaron Posner and Teller, it’s different and thrilling. Need a refresher on the story?

Anything Goes With Instrument Designer Kenny Wollesen
You might want to think twice before getting rid of that chest of drawers or throwing out coffee cans. In the hands of instrument builder Kenny Wollesen, those “found objects” make music.

It Takes a Creative and Magical Village for This Tempest
Meet the cast.

The Many Incarnations of The Tempest
Posner and Teller transport audiences to a Dust Bowl-era traveling tent show in their adaptation. Learn about their approach and about other daring adaptations of Shakespeare’s classic tale.

A New Level of Wonderment
Magic, Tom Waits and more. Read more about the development of this adaption.

Making Magic into Reality
Teller, with the aid of fellow renowned magician Johnny Thompson crafted the magic for this production. Find out about how the two came together.

The Tempest Character Map
Who’s who in the world of The Tempest? All connections between characters in the play start with Prospero. Check out our Tempest character guide

Videos

Excerpts from The Tempest

Why This Version of The Tempest is Special
In this video from The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Aaron Posner and Teller talk about why this version of Shakespeare’s classic is so special.

Photos

Cast members in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo: Debora Robinson.

Ariel (Nate Dendy) in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo: Deborah Robinson.

Caliban (Zach Eisenstat and Manelich Minniefee) and Prospero (Tom Nelis) in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo: The Smith Center/Geri Kodey.

(l. to r.) Sebastian (Edmund Lewis), Prospero (Tom Nelis), Miranda (Charlotte Graham), Ferdinand (Joby Earle), Alonso (Mike McShane) and Gonzala (Dawn Didawick) in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo: Debora Robinson

Antonio (Louis Butelli), Gonzala (Dawn Didawick), Sebastian (Edmund Lewis) and Alonso (Mike McShane) in The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Photo: Debora Robinson.