The Tempest

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Learnings & Notes

A Note from Director Yasmin Ruvalcaba

A stroll through the park, the voices of children playing, the paws of dogs against the pavement, all interrupted by the roar of a thunderstorm. But instead of packing up and heading home to seek cover, you put down a blanket over the grass and join us for an outdoor performance of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The story of a lost dukedom and a father and daughter who have spent twelve years upon an island full of magic, meets the world of the Spanish language.

Welcome to an evening of storytelling that weaves the languages of speech, movement, and energy connecting us with the characters and one another. Storytelling has been rooted in us since we were young, from fairy tales to family stories passed down from generation to generation. Those stories teach us life lessons and frame the way we see the world. In The Tempest we play with a world of pain and moving on. Chance presents an opportunity for revenge, and it’d be simple to cave in to what appears to be destiny, but sometimes the most innocent in our lives make us realize the beauty in humanity and the power of letting go.

As we step onto the grass, placing our set pieces, our lights and sound, we step into a new world that is not allowed in a traditional theatre space. We harness the trees and wind around us, the excited energy of a spectator that did expect to see such wonder in the parks, and the power of meeting our community where they are. We welcome our community into our space and story, letting them know that they belong and that we would not be without them.

So take your seat on the lush green grass as you once did when you were young, and let the innocence and excitement of everything new that once was enter back into your mind and heart. Lift up your gaze and once again let yourself believe in magic.

--Yasmin Ruvalcaba, Director

Shakespeare's The Tempest from Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

TL;DR: A crew of men are shipwrecked on a magical island and tormented by an old man and his slaves.

The Tempest Summary

Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm and torment the survivors of a shipwreck, including the King of Naples and Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio. Prospero’s slave, Caliban, plots to rid himself of his master, but is thwarted by Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel. The King’s young son Ferdinand, thought to be dead, falls in love with Prospero’s daughter Miranda. Their celebrations are cut short when Prospero confronts his brother and reveals his identity as the usurped Duke of Milan. The families are reunited and all conflict is resolved. Prospero grants Ariel his freedom and prepares to leave the island.

Act I

Close to a Mediterranean island, a storm overcomes a ship that carries King Alonso of Naples, his son Ferdinand, and his brother Sebastian. They were on their way home home from Tunis to Italy when the storm hit and demolished their ship. Shipwrecked with them are the courtier, Gonzalo, and the Duke of Milan, Antonio.

Greg Wyatt Sculpture of The Tempest. A very complex design, containing a ship, storm waves, a cleft tree and the wing of Ariel, and the bearded face of Prospero. — Greg Wyatt Sculpture of The Tempest in the gardens of Shakespeare's New Place

From the island, Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, watches the storm and shipwreck with his 15 year-old daughter, Miranda. Miranda fears for the ship's crew, but Prospero assures her that everything is fine. He decides to open up about his past, telling her how 12 years previously, his brother Antonio had deposed him in a coup.

With the aid of Gonzalo, Prospero had escaped in a boat with the infant Miranda and his books of magic. They travelled to the island, made it their home, and enslaved the only native islander, Caliban. The only other inhabitants of the island are the spirits including Ariel, whom Prospero had rescued from imprisonment in a tree. Since Antonio was on the boat that is now shipwrecked, Prospero hopes finally to rectify his past.

As Miranda sleeps, Prospero discusses his role in the shipwreck with Ariel. They plot about what to do with the men now that they are on the shore.

The Tempest Royal Shakespeare Company, 1998. A solemn-faced, white haired, seated Prospero stares out over the audience. On his right Miranda kneels, her hands on his thigh, staring up at him in concern. She has long curly hair and a light dress, contrasting with his dark robe with a long white collar. — Royal Shakespeare Company, 1998

The courtiers from the ship are cast ashore unharmed. But the King is near despair, believing that Ferdinand, his son, drowned. Ferdinand has actually arrived safely on a different part of the island where he meets Miranda and they instantly fall in love. Prospero, fearing for his daughter, captures Ferdinand and forces him to carry wood. In the meantime, Ariel seeks his freedom. Prospero promises that he will liberate Ariel from servitude following the completion of just a few more tasks (typical).

O brave new world that has such people in't!

— THE TEMPEST, ACT 5 SCENE 1

Act II

Ariel uses music to lead the courtiers astray, while Sebastian and Antonio plot to kill the King while he is asleep. Their attempt is foiled by Ariel. All the people from the ship become ever more confused as they wander around. In another part of the island, the timid court fool, Trinculo, has come ashore and discovered Caliban. Trinculo hides beside Caliban from an approaching storm, and the ship's butler, Stephano finds them.

Act III-IV

Stephano, Caliban, and Trinculo, at Caliban's suggestion, intend to kill Prospero and make Stephano lord of the island. They get very drunk before setting off to the cell to kill Prospero. Ariel, who saw the whole thing in his invisible state, reports this wicked plot to his master. Meanwhile, Prospero has relented and gives his blessing for Ferdinand and Miranda's marriage. Then he entertains them with a masque of goddesses and dancing reapers before he remembers Caliban's plots.

Prospero and Ariel then set a trap for the three plotters. Stephano and Trinculo fall for the plot and become distracted by gaudy clothes hung out for them. After they touch the clothing, they are chased away by spirits disguised as dogs.

The Tempest Royal Shakespeare Company, 2006. Standing in front of a rock, a grim-faced Prospero holds his hands wide above his head. He is dressed in a black robe, over which he wears a furred cloak; held in his hands, this gives the impression of wings. — Royal Shakespeare Company, 2006

We are such stuff As dreams are made on

— THE TEMPEST, ACT 4 SCENE 1

Act V

Ariel brings all the courtiers to the cell where Prospero, renouncing his magic, reveals himself. Instead of enacting his revenge, he forgives them and accepts the return of his dukedom. Ferdinand and Miranda are betrothed. Sailors come to announce that the ship is safe. Prospero fulfils his promise and frees Ariel while Caliban and the drunken servants are rebuked. The play ends as all go to celebrate their reunions, and Prospero asks the audience to release him from the play.

Cast Bios

Khail Duggan (he/him)

Khail Duggan
*Ferdinand / Antonio / Trinculo*

Khail holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screen Acting from Chapman University. This is Khail’s first production with Bag&Baggage. Other companies Khail has worked for include The Deep End Theater, Hillsdale Theatre, Wilton Theatre Company, Make a Wish Foundation, and Theater of Others. Some favorite roles include: The Wibbly Wobbly Wiggly Dance that Cleopatterer Did (as Tim); A Night of Noh Theatre (as The Saint of Yokawa); The Anthrax Factory (as John); Slam! (as Linc); and If All the Sky Were Paper (as various roles). When Khail is not acting, you can catch him meditating or walking around various parks in Portland with the trees.

Josh Rocchi (he/they)

Josh received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from West Virginia University. This opportunity is his first performance with The Bag&Baggage Company, as well as his debut on the West Coast. Josh has provided his off-and-onstage capabilities with companies such as M.T. Pockets Stage, The Alley Theater, and The Rustic Mechanicals. Some of his favorite performances thus far are: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead (as The Player King); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Puck); Art (as Serge); Frost/Nixon (as Bob Zelnick); Hamlet (as Polonius); and many others’ original works. He’s been lucky enough to have directed various works like Pontypool; The Pillowman; and Rain. Josh is a mere service industry worker who performs theatre so he can pay the bills. Freelance artist, and chronic-worrier that he is, would like to be sure to thank his partner, friends, colleagues, and of course, you. Thank you for coming out, being present, and supporting the arts. Enjoy the show!

Calista Rodriguez (she/her)

Calista Rodriguez
*Miranda / Ariel / Boatswain*

Calista received her theater/acting education through the two year program at The Actors Conservatory. She continues the pursuit of her education by enrolling in acting and improv classes whenever she has the time. This will be Calista’s first production with Bag&Baggage and her first professional acting experience! We are excited for her! So far, her favorite performance has been the role of Nessa in her friend’s short film Dramamine. On the side, Calista rakes in that dough as a dog bather in a high end dog salon. Her hobbies include reading, writing, playing D&D and other RPG’s, playing video games, exercising those musical skills on guitar and bass guitar, and generally taking it easy (she naps a lot). All thanks goes to her family for supporting her, her teachers for imparting wisdom unto her, and herself for completing tasks when tasks are so hard to do.

Desiree Roy (she/her)

Desiree holds a Bachelor of Performing Arts from Western Washington University. This is Desiree’s first production with Bag&Baggage. Other companies Desiree has worked for include Foolhouse Art Collective, The Sylvia Center, and Blessed Unrest. Some of her favorite past roles include: Pride and Prejudice (As Jane Bennet); I and You (as Caroline) and The Invincible Ones (as Paige). Outside of theatre, Desiree can be found caring for creatures at a Pet Hotel and at home. Desiree is blessed with incredibly loving family and friends that she thanks for their constant support.

Demetri Tostado (he/him)

Demetri Tostado
Prospero

An ever constant student of the arts. Particularly acting, writing, directing and all around goofballery. He was bitten by the acting bug most likely while pretending to be a ninja turtle terminator predator alien jedi master. He definitely thanks you for coming to this wondrous story of forgiveness, power, and peace and he will try his super duper best to give you a performance that echoes with you, at least till the end of the drive home. If you wish to know more, by all means, introduce yourself, I’d love to chit chat with ya. If you wish to see more of this young looking old guy, you can find him on Youtube under the channels Heyoka Unleashed and/or Loud and the Fog. Nothing but love for ya folks! Cheers and Salud!

Crew & Production Team Bios

Yasmin Ruvalcaba (she/her), Director

After two wonderful opportunities to assistant direct at Bag&Baggage, The Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] and La Isla En Inviero/The Island in Winter, Yasmin is honored to return to Bag&Baggage as a director. Yasmin has also assistant directed Wolf at the Door (Milagro) and La Ruta (Artists Repertory Theatre). Yasmin’s previous directing credits include, El Nogalar (Cap&Bells) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Cap&Bells), as well as several readings of Milagro Theatre’s, Ingenio Series.

Yasmin is currently working at Centro Cultural as the Arts & Culture Manager. Her time is also spent working as a teaching artist and as an active writer in the community. Two of her monologues, Caremlita and Ruega Por Mi, were featured in Theatre Diaspora’s Here on This Bridge: The -ism Project. She also just wrapped up a commissioned piece, Un Pajarito Canta, with the Portland Revels, in Spring 2022.

Morgan Fenn (she/they), Stage Manager

Morgan graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts from Pacific University, and is currently working towards a Master’s degree at Portland State University. This is Morgan’s first show with Bag&Baggage. Morgan has previously stage managed shows such as Far Away and Orlando at Pacific University. Morgan would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work, and hopes that you enjoy our production of The Tempest.

Cindy Angel (she/her), Properties Manager

Cindy Angel got her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at Washington State University. Previously at Bag&Baggage she was the Assistant Scenic Designer for Much Ado About Nothing, and The Island in Winter. Besides working behind the scenes as a designer she can also be seen on stage as an actress. Previously in Portland she was in Judge Torres at Milago Theatre, where she also did a national tour with Teatro Milagro.

Robert Durante (he/him), Mask Design

Robert holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Hendrix College, and has also had the honor of participating in Portland Playhouse’s Acting Apprenticeship Program. He is thrilled to make his Bag&Baggage debut in A Clockwork Orange! Companies Robert has worked for include Theatre Vertigo, Portland Playhouse, Defunkt Theatre, Outer East Art House, and Deep End Theatre. Favorite past roles include Proof (as Hal); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Francis Flute, Thisbe); and The Hobbit (as Bilbo Baggins). When he isn’t on stage, he can be found making leather masks or exploring the PNW woods with his loved ones.

Sophina Flores (she/her), Lighting Design

Sophina Flores
Lighting Design

Sophina holds a BA in Theatre and Dance from Amherst College. She is the founder of local dance theatre company Roots and All Theatre Ensemble, centering marginalized identities and breaking the boundaries of realism, who you may know from productions such as Liminal and The Between Spaces. As a Lighting Designer, a sampling of her shows include Medea, Dr. Faustus, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Proof, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Alkestis, Twelfth Night, and Fiddler on the Roof. She was also Assistant Lighting Designer to Marika Kent at Portland Center Stage’s Gem of the Ocean. Sophina is excited to be designing the lights for her second show at Bag&Baggage after Troy USA. This adaptation of The Tempest is especially close to her heart as her work centers the intersectionality of identities as a bisexual Puerto Rican woman, and prominently features themes of mental illness and trauma, with surrealist or magical realist motifs.

Aleks Hollis (they/them), Sound Design

Aleks Hollis
Sound Design

Aleks Hollis is a performer, live foley artist, and video editor. They were recently the live video game designer for Space55’s The Hidden Sea. They have worked as the video editor for The Bridge Initiative’s RomeroFest production of The Dalai Lama is Not Welcome Here, UCAT’s production of The Last Five Years/ Los Últimos Cinco Años, and as a live foley artist for Space55’s Night of the Chicken. They have won 3 ariZoni awards: 2 for Artistic Specialization and 1 for Sound Design. They were once removed from their 4th grade remedial math class after achieving a high score on the Apple II game, Number Munchers.

Curtis Maxey Jr. (he/him), Scenic Design

Curtis Maxey Jr. scenic designer from Indianapolis,Indiana. Curtis studied theatre at Grambling State University where he began studies in the tech department and learning all aspects of theatre. Some of the shows he has designed was “Miss Every Boys”, “Bull in the China Shop” and many more. He would like to dedicate this show to all the BIPOC and indigenous people of the land and thankful that they were able to inspire his work.

Julio Montelongo (he/him), Costume Design

After a 8 year hiatus, Julio Montelongo returns to the theater with this summer production. A graduate from Pacific University, Julio majored in Media Studies, focusing on Event/ Project Production & Management, involving himself in a number of organizations at both Pacific University and Portland Community College. Some program highlights he participated in were PacU. ACE Board, ASPCC Student Leadership, TEDxPacificU and TEDxPCCRockCreek, having founded both TEDx programs at each institution. Staring in theater at an early age in Southwest Texas, he grew a passion for acting and backstage work that helped him in his transition to the PNW, if only for a short period of time. Now, after an extended break, Julio returns to stage in this Shakespeare production, in great excitement and anticipation for what comes next in the future.

Jim Ricks-White† (he/him), Technical Director, Scenic & Lighting Coordinator

With over 30 years in theatre, Jim is pleased to be part of the staff here at Bag&Baggage, adding Production Manager to his duties as Technical Director and Lighting Designer. Jim has worked professionally as a Production Stage Manager and Stage Manager (Civic Light Opera Seattle, Spokane Interplayers, Stumptown Stages); Technical Director, Lighting and Set Designer (Innovation Theatreworks, Tower Theatre, Portland Actors Ensemble); Properties Artisan; and all-around Theatre Tech (the list goes on and on...) — in venues as small as 99-seat black box theaters, and as large as the Olympic Stadium for the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics as well as lighting the World’s Largest Building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for New Year’s Eve 2018. Basically, he has yet to meet a theatre tech job he didn’t like — or at least enjoy! Jim has also taught technical theatre at PCC Sylvania and has held numerous administrative positions in theatre during his career. In his free time, Jim loves to travel, explore great food, and enjoys working off steam swinging a Fly Rod on the river or Italian Military saber at his local HEMA gym, Sala delle Tre Spade. Jim looks forward to being able to help nail down some good storytelling and bring the 2021-2022 B&B Season to light!

Elliot Lorenc (he/they), Marketing and Communications Manager, Graphic Design

Elliot Lorenc
*Marketing and Communications, Graphic Design*

Elliot is a performer, director, musician, applied theatre practitioner, and both the current Marketing & Communications Manager, and Education & Outreach Coordinator for Bag&Baggage! He’s been with Bag&Baggage for nearly three years now, and has occupied such diverse roles as Emerging Artist, assistant stage manager, lighting designer, sound designer, costume designer, bartender, box office manager, writer and actor. He was most recently seen as Aurelie in The Ballad of Aurelie the Bold, for which he also served as playwright.

Elliot’s interest in theatre education began in 2015 when he accepted a teaching artist position at The University of Notre Dame’s Shakespeare Outreach Program. During his time with ND Elliot taught and directed Shakespearean Performance at such diverse locations as kindergartens, high schools, prisons, shelters, and Shakespeare’s birthplace. He is thrilled to be working as both Marketing & Communications Manager, and Education & Outreach Coordinator with Bag&Baggage. He is even more thrilled to be able to engage more deeply with the community of Hillsboro!

TS McCormick (he/him), Managing Director

TS holds a Master of Fine Arts from Minnesota State University, Mankato and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Rhode Island. Over the past 20 years, his theatrical career has included acting, directing, construction, production, management, and education. TS has appeared on stage with Bag&Baggage as Duke Frederick/Duke Senior in As You Like It or Love In a Forest, and as Deltoid/Others in A Clockwork Orange. In addition, he has worked behind the scenes on many productions since his original engagement with the company in 2017. Aside from Bag&Baggage, TS has worked locally and nationally over the course of his career. Some of the organizations he has produced theater with include; Clackamas Repertory Theater; the Gamm Theater; Colonial Theater; Pendragon Theater; 2nd Story Theater; The Rhode Island Shakespeare Company; South Dakota Shakespeare Festival, and more. He has spent more than a decade in both corporate and nonprofit management, working for companies ranging from entertainment to behavioral healthcare. TS is a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union for professional actors and stage managers.

Alexis MacDougall-Wilson (she/her), Stagehand

Alexis graduated from California State University of Long Beach and has a Bachelor's in Theatre Arts. This will be Alexis' first time working on set since moving to Oregon in 2019 & she is honored to be a part of this Bag&Baggage production! Alexis has many years of experience in events, entertainment, production and theatre. She has had the pleasure of being on the staffing team for the Academy Awards in Hollywood for three years in a row and was also a part of the running crew for the LA performance of Absinthe. Alexis has Stage Managed three different Theatre Threshold productions at CSULB which included The Last 5 Years, Floyd Collins the Musical & Bare (A Pop Opera). When she is not in the theatre you can find Alexis designing floral experiences for weddings and events or exploring the outdoors with her husband and fur baby Bandit. Alexis would like to thank her friends, family, husband and fur children for always pushing her to do the things that spark joy! She would also like to give a special thanks to Jim Ricks-White (Bag& Baggage's Production Manager) for giving her the opportunity to be back in the world of theatre!

Kylee Rice (she/her), Board Operator

Kylee is a second-year student at MHCC getting their Associates of Applied Science degree and will be graduating in 2023. Kylee has been involved in the theatre arts since 2016, and they have loved every minute of it. Kylee's favorite on stage role was "Stepmother" for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and their favorite off stage role was Assistant Stage Manager for the musical Avenue Q, during winter term at MHCC.

Lily Wakefield (she/they), Patron Services Manager Manager & Production Electrician

Lily Wakefield
*Patron Services Manager, Production Electrician*

Lily is a Portland area stage hand, lighting designer, and experienced electrical technician. Her work has been seen all around the Portland metro area in places such as Dante's, the Star Theatre, Clackamas Repertory Theatre, Experience Theatre Project, and even the Majestic Theatre of Corvallis. Now proudly working as box office manager and master electrician under Bag&Baggage Productions, she looks forward to what the future brings and what wonderful productions her skills will support!

† = B&B Company Artist, sponsored by Linda Morrisson and Andrew Hoffmann

About Bag&Baggage

Mission Statement

The mission of Bag&Baggage Productions is to unpack the stories we carry with us — from anecdotal to epic; from original to classic — using these as the groundwork to create transformative theatrical experiences that explore our shared humanity. Our home base is The Vault Theater in Downtown Hillsboro, and we are proud to be part of the vibrant community in our corner of Washington County.

The Ground We're On...

Bag&Baggage is a predominantly white institution, located in a state that was founded on anti-Indigenous and anti-Black practices; it is crucial to acknowledge we are here today as a result of the sacrifices forced upon the lives and narratives of these people. We particularly reflect on the original inhabitants and caretakers of the land on which The Vault Theater now sits: the Atfalati Kalapuyans, also called the Tualatin people, who today are members of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. In addition to occupying their land, we have been complicit in erasing their stories. We recognize the land itself, with gratitude for the way it supports and sustains us - past, present, and future. We also recognize the stories of those who have been enslaved, marginalized, and colonized in the name of building wealth; their oppression has allowed institutions like our theatre to exist today. In remembering these communities, we honor their legacy, their lives, and their descendants.

If you’d like to learn more about the history of what is now Hillsboro, please visit our friends at Five Oaks Museum and their virtual exhibit, This IS Kalapuyan Land.

If you’d like to help redistribute resources back into indigenous communities, please consider making a donation to Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF) or Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA).

Show Details

Bag&Baggage Staff