Ridin' the Storm Out

Prospero was once the Duke of Milan, but he's spent the last dozen years on a remote island. He's not shirking his responsibilities; his brother, Antonio, has usurped his position and cast him out in a small boat with only his daughter, Miranda, for company. Prospero has not been idle, however; he's mastered the magical arts with the help of island spirit Ariel and now has the power to wreck his brother's passing ship and trap both brother and entourage on his island. Vengeance is in Prospero's reach, but for the fact that handsome young Ferdinand has attracted the fancy of Miranda and that his own monstrous servant, Caliban, would gladly depose Prospero from his island and claim Miranda for himself. Betrayal, vengeance, love, magic and the dark nooks of the human heart all in one play — surely this is a Shakespeare. St. Louis Shakespeare presents The Tempest at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (October 1 through 10) at the Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square; 314-361-5664 or www.stlshakespeare.org). Tickets are $15 to $25.
Thursdays-Sundays. Starts: Oct. 1. Continues through Oct. 10, 2010