FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT:
CSC Communications Manager
Nia June, 410-244-8571 x119
june@chesapeakeshakespeare.com

CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PRESENTS
THE TEMPEST

Baltimore, MD (3.26.26) – Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) announces its production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Shakespeare’s spellbinding final masterpiece. Directed by Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar, the production opens Friday, April 24 and runs through May 17, closing out the Company’s Downtown Baltimore season.

CSC’s The Tempest is a mystical story shaped by redemption and the possibility of forgiveness. Exiled from his dukedom, Prospero lives on an enchanted island with his daughter, Miranda. When those who betrayed him are shipwrecked within his reach, he is given a rare chance to settle old wounds, forcing a choice between retribution and release.

"I love the world of magic and fantasy that Shakespeare has created. We're creating a world full of exotic creatures and unlikely events,” writes Gallanar, whose shaping of CSC has been defined by inventive stagings of Shakespeare’s canon that blends the classical text with bold, visual storytelling. Gallanar is staying true to that practice, approaching The Tempest as both an intimate human drama and a fun, immersive theatrical event.

Central to this world of whimsy is its fully realized design. Rather than a traditional tropical setting that this story typically renders, Set Designer Shartoya R. Jn. Baptiste transforms the stage into a rocky, otherworldly landscape—plunging audiences directly into Prospero’s domain. Layering onto that vision, Resident Costume Designer Kristina Lambdin’s signature craftsmanship coupled with Puppet Master Chris Reuther’s fabrication of original fantastical creatures evokes a dreamscape that is mesmerizing and wholly unexpected.

In keeping with CSC’s commitment to artistic invention, the production offers nearly every element of live performance. Completely original music—developed and owned by CSC—underscores the action, while movement and dance animate spirits and elemental beings. Puppeteers share the stage with actors, conjuring a surreal environment where the supernatural is depicted with visceral texture.

The cast blends longtime CSC artists with performers new to the Company. Christopher Marino, a veteran of regional stages and Shakespeare festivals—and director of CSC’s third production back in 2003—commands Prospero, with Selah Kreeger making her CSC debut as his daughter, Miranda. Vince Eisenson returns to the CSC stage as Caliban for the first time since appearing in Hamlet in 2023, with a career spanning theatre, film, and television. Company members Gregory Burgess, Dawn Thomas Reidy, and Shakill Jamal—most recently seen this season in A Christmas Carol and August Wilson’s Fences—appear alongside CSC’s Executive Producing Director Lesley Malin. Gabriel Alejandro joins his fellow Company members following last season’s Julius Caesar In-The-Ruins production. With deep ties to Shakespeare and extensive work across the Company’s repertoire, this eclectic ensemble builds on a shared foundation while welcoming new energy into the production.

As CSC continues its 2025–2026 season, The Tempest reaffirms its dedication to engaging the canon through the expansive lens of the imagination. Throughout the run, audiences are invited to further explore the work through a range of community events, offering opportunities to connect with the artists behind this visionary play.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Directed by Ian Gallanar

LOCATION
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located at 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, two blocks north of the Inner Harbor. Nearby parking is available at Truist Place or Propark. The theatre is accessible using the FREE Charm City Circulator and is located on the Purple Route. For more detailed information about directions, parking, and public transportation, click here.

TICKETS
Adult tickets start at $35, tickets for youth 25 and under start at $31, and preview tickets are $25. To purchase tickets, visit ChesapeakeShakespeare.com, or contact the Box Office directly by calling 410-244-8570 or visiting in person at 7 South Calvert Street. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more and active-duty military. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com/tempest.

DATES
Wednesday, April 22 at 8 PM - PREVIEW
Thursday, April 23 at 8 PM - PREVIEW
Friday, April 24 at 8 PM – OPENING/PRESS NIGHT
Saturday, April 25 at 8 PM
Sunday, April 26 at 2 PM
Friday, May 1 at 8 PM
Saturday, May 2 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 3 at 2 PM
Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 PM
Friday, May 8 at 8 PM
Saturday, May 9 at 2 PM
Saturday, May 9 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 10 at 2 PM
Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 PM
Friday, May 15 at 8 PM
Saturday, May 16 at 8 PM
Sunday, May 17 at 2 PM

CAST LIST
Prospero – Christopher Marino
Ariel – Noah Haren
Gonzalo – Gregory Burgess*
Sebastian – Gabriel Alejandro*
Antonio – Lesley Malin*
Miranda – Selah Kreeger
Caliban – Vince Eisenson*+
Ferdinand – Drew Sharpe
Alonso – Dawn Thomas Reidy*
Trinculo – Shakill Jamal*
Stephano – Matt Harris
Spirits Of The Island – Aura Gallanar, Dorienne Hoven, Christina Krawec, Mari Andrea Travis

CREATIVE TEAM
Director – Ian Gallanar*
Production Manager – Lauren Engler*
Production Stage Manager – Daniel Nie
Technical Director – Dan O'Brien*
Set Designer – Shartoya R. Jn. Baptiste
Lighting Designer – Katie McCreary*
Costume Designer – Kristina Lambdin*
Sound Designer – Sarah O'Halloran*
Projection Designer – Mark Williams
Props Artisan – Isabel deCarvalho
Assistant Director – Kayla Schultz*
Production Associate – Dawn Thomas Reidy*
Dramaturg/Text Coach – Abraham Stoll
Music Director – Grace Srinivasan*
Wig and Makeup Design – Hannah Brill
Creature Creation/Puppet Master – Chris Reuther
Creature Fabrication – Josie Renkwitz
Creature Consultant/Graphic Designer – Brandon W. Vernon*
Choreography & Movement – CJay Philip of Dance & Bmore
Board Operator – Andy Pfluger
Wardrobe Supervisor – Hannah Brill
Assistant Stage Manager – Ellie Skoda
Assistant Technical Director – Chester Stacy*
Set Build Assistant – Maryn Murray
Education (Access) Manager – Brooke Donald
Audience Services Manager – Mandy Benedix*
Senior House Manager – Pam Forton*
House Managers – Stacey Morrison, Ashley Sigmon

* CSC Company Member
+ Actors' Equity Association

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Founded in 2002, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theatre to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. The company offers performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable, challenging, and innovative. In 2012, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company acquired the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company building in downtown Baltimore, renovating it into a modern Globe Theater for indoor performances. CSC produces outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County and brings free Shakespeare performances directly into neighborhoods across Maryland with our innovative travelling Shakespeare Beyond Wagon. The organization regularly serves 34,000+ people annually through artistic projects and intentional community engagement. CSC’s vibrant education program includes an extensive matinee series, camps, classes, and in and out-of-school residencies. The company invites patrons, students, and neighbors to become part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theatre and a more purposeful, engaged, and connected community.