All are invited to join us in celebrating 42 years of Free Shakespeare in the Park!  Since 1983, as part of SF Shakes’ mission to make Shakespeare accessible to all, we’ve brought our Free Shakes production to audiences around the SF Bay Area; no tickets or Shakespeare experience required.

Thought to be Shakespeare’s last solo written play, The Tempest tells the tale of a father (Prospero) and daughter (Miranda) set adrift to sea by the jealous machinations of Prospero’s brother. On an island inhabited with magical creatures, Prospero uses magic to rule the land, until a tempest washes ashore Prospero’s brother and co-conspirators. Complete with clownish shipwrecked sailors, The Tempest explores themes of revenge and forgiveness and asks the audience to find the humanity in all the characters they meet.

Director Rotimi Agbabiaka looks to highlight the themes of forgiveness and recovering from loss. Joining him is Assistant Director Ely Sonny Orquiza, who holds an unwavering belief in the remarkable power of equity and representation in storytelling to bridge the divide and differences amongst us.

Scroll down to review the 2024 season schedule, download the program, meet the cast and crew, join the team, donate, and view production photos.  Use the menu on the left to quickly navigate this page.

SAT AUG 17 – 6PM
SUN AUG 18 – 6PM

SAT AUG 24 – 6PM
SUN AUG 25 – 6PM