Upstart Crows of Santa Fe is a theater company for young people ages 10 to 18, with a focus on understanding and performing the works of Shakespeare. Actors experience the plays first-hand, exploring Shakespeare's language and meaning with the help of experienced directors. The plays are produced uncut.
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Thought by many to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone, this romantic and dramatic comedy is set on a remote island, where the magician Prospero, rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. He conjures up a storm (possibly derived by Shakespeare from eyewitness reports by William Strachey and Sylvester Jordain of the real-life shipwreck of the Sea Venture on the islands of Bermuda) to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the plotting King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's villainy, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand. With spirits, monsters, and an appearance by the gods, The Tempest is a delight for actors as well as audience.