Full Circle Under the Stars

Produced by the University of Houston since 1975, the Houston Shakespeare Festival returns this summer with free performances of “The Tempest” and “The Comedy of Errors.”

Founded by Sidney Berger, former director of UH's School of Theatre and Dance, the festival is expected to attract 20,000 attendees to the hillside at Miller Outdoor Theatre from July 30 to Aug. 8. HSF serves as both a professional theater and an educational pipeline for the School of Theatre and Dance within the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts. Veteran stage and production talent work alongside an elite group of UH students who benefit from this real-world stage experience.

The season’s comedic selection, "The Comedy of Errors," is a fast-paced, slapstick tale of mistaken identity that serves as an accessible entry point for families and first-time Shakespeare-goers.

Jack young points during a first read of this season's 2026 HSF — HSF Artistic Director Jack Young is directing this season's comedic selection, "The Comedy of Errors."

HSF Artistic Director Jack Young is directing this season's comedic selection, "The Comedy of Errors."

“We have a terrific design team that is making things very bright and very fun for one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays,” said Jack Young, HSF artistic director and director of “The Comedy of Errors.” “It will take on a 1960s vibe, and we'll be tipping our caps to classic comedic sitcoms like ‘The Honeymooners.’”

In contrast to the high-energy farce, the 2026 season also marks the return of the “The Tempest” to HSF for the first time in 20 years. Known as one of Shakespeare’s most visually theatrical works, the production explores themes of power, forgiveness and transformation.

Nationally acclaimed director Sharon Ott, director of the School of Theatre and Dance and executive director of HSF, makes her Houston directorial debut with a female-centered interpretation of the play. Recasting Shakespeare’s iconic sorcerer Prospero as Prospera, Ott examines the play’s enduring themes through the lens of motherhood, illuminating the character’s journey of loss, protection and reconciliation.

sharon ott holds up a paper with different versions of a sorcerers staff — SF Executive Director Sharon Ott showcases a board of staff research for the show she is directing this year, "The Tempest."

SF Executive Director Sharon Ott showcases a board of staff research for the show she is directing this year, "The Tempest."

“There have been many productions of this play with women playing the role, so it's not a novel idea of mine,” Ott said. “But as a woman, I read this play very personally. It's even more personal as I get older because the play was written at the end of Shakespeare’s artistic life. Our design team, choreographer and composer/sound designer will bring Shakespeare's visual and aural magic to the Miller Outdoor Theatre.”

One of America’s most respected directors, Ott has built a distinguished career collaborating with leading Shakespeare companies, opera companies and festivals nationwide. Prior to joining the University of Houston in 2024, she taught Shakespeare for 12 years, bringing her expertise as both an artist and educator to the next generation.

actors jaiden cunningham and Forrest Stringfellow grab each other in character for the comedy of errors

portrait of sharon ott standing in a theater

Peek Behind the Scenes

Alumni Shape Festival’s
Artistic Identity

costume designers paige willson and jodi daniels smile together in front of a large window

Behind the scenes, the shared history and individual artistic evolutions of UH alumni shape the visual landscape at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

A 27-year festival veteran, costume designer Paige Willson drew inspiration from 1960s films, sitcoms and pop-culture icons to create the vibrant look of “The Comedy of Errors.” Since joining HSF in 1999, Willson has designed, built crafts or consulted on nearly the entire Shakespearean canon.

paige willson adjusts a colorful orange dress for the comedy of errors — Costume designer Paige Willson works on a garment for her play, "The Comedy of Errors."

Costume designer Paige Willson works on a garment for her play, "The Comedy of Errors."

“Once upon a time I thought, ‘I don't know if Shakespeare would be something I would really be interested in’ — and pretty much my entire career has been Shakespeare,” Willson said. “Dr. Sidney Berger instilled a passion in all of us for the language, the stories and the understanding of the human condition.”

An alumna herself, Willson worked as the craftmaster milliner at the Alley Theatre before returning to UH in 2009 as an instructional professor. Teaching courses in costume design, fabric dyeing, millinery, rendering and mask-making, she frequently watches her students transition from classroom assignments to independent problem-solving in HSF's high-stakes professional environment.

This summer, that mentorship comes full circle. Willson is collaborating with a former student, costume designer Jodie Daniels, who is crafting the look for “The Tempest.” Willson instantly recognized a unique, three-dimensional spatial awareness in Daniels, who came from a fine arts background. Today, that student-teacher dynamic has blossomed into a deep professional peerage.

“Once upon a time I thought, ‘I don't know if Shakespeare would be something I would really be interested in.”
Paige Willson

For the costumes of “The Tempest,” Daniels took inspiration from her relationship with her own mother, who died of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in November. Daniels transformed her grief into art, weaving it into the production’s visual storytelling through intricate textures and fabrics.

Many pieces are woven by hand — a nod to the interconnectedness of mother-daughter relationships.

“With Prospera and Miranda, we really focused on their relationship and how intertwined they are,” Daniels said. “I had this concept of love versus control and how the mother-daughter relationship changes as time goes on, and how we see that change through the eyes of a mother versus the eyes of a daughter.”

Prospera and Miranda’s garments are visually and emotionally linked through matching hand-woven fabrics; the base of Prospera’s dress is even crafted from the tablecloth used at Daniels’ mother’s memorial service.

After 12 years teaching theater, art and fashion design across Houston-area schools, Daniels is preparing to transition out of the classroom to launch a full-time freelance costume design career in Houston.

jodie daniels stands in front of a tv screen with costume renderings on it — Costume designer Jodie Daniels showcases the costumes for "The Tempest."

Costume designer Jodie Daniels showcases the costumes for "The Tempest."

“I love teaching, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do my whole life,” Daniels said. “With my mother passing in the fall, that was my huge wake-up call. I want to live the life I want to live; I want to do things that make me happy and thrive and be creative and where I feel the most natural and the most normal.”

paige willson shows a costume rendering from the play the comedy of errors

jodi daniels smiles while working on a head piece for the tempest

Mother-daughter Dynamic on Stage

actors madison prentiss and laura frye pose in character of miranda and prospera in the tempest

On stage, Madison Prentiss serves as a prime example of homegrown talent at the festival. She began her HSF journey as an undergraduate, working backstage as a costume intern and dresser for "Cymbeline" and "King Lear."

Prentiss credits observing UH graduate students in that environment for teaching her how to navigate a massive stage. She spent the next two summers playing ensemble roles with frequent quick changes, steadily earning larger parts each year.

two actors sit beside each other at a table read, clapping their hands — Houston Shakespeare Festival actors Madison Prentiss and Wesley Whitson attend the first meeting of the season.

Houston Shakespeare Festival actors Madison Prentiss and Wesley Whitson attend the first meeting of the season.

This summer, Prentiss returns for her fifth HSF season to play Luciana in “The Comedy of Errors” and Miranda in “The Tempest.”

“One of my favorite things about creating live theater is the necessity and opportunity to be in the room with people and talk to them, laugh with them and figure things out together,” Prentiss said. “That’s where the magic happens — having that live, in-the-moment human connection.”

Using the skills she honed at UH, Prentiss will soon join the Tennessee Shakespeare Company for a classical apprenticeship, performing on stage and leading educational outreach in Memphis high schools.

“That's what HSF is for, as the professional arm of the school — if you have this interest, dedication and the smarts, you can find your way,” Young said.

“She’s been someone who I've been looking up to during my entire journey with this festival”
Madison Prentiss

This season also brings a full-circle moment for Prentiss as she shares the stage with Laura Frye, who plays Prospera in “The Tempest.” When Prentiss started as a costume intern on “Cymbeline,” she watched in awe as Frye played the lead role of Imogen.

laura frye stands in costume in front of greenery — Actor Laura Frye plays sorcerer Prospera in "The Tempest."

Actor Laura Frye plays sorcerer Prospera in "The Tempest."

“She’s been someone who I've been looking up to during my entire journey with this festival,” Prentiss said. “Being able to share the stage with her now feels like such an honor because she is such a force of nature.”

A 2008 alumna of UH’s M.F.A. program, Frye’s artistic roots run deep in Houston. Decades ago, she followed Young to UH from Ohio University, absorbing a training philosophy built on making bold choices and embracing failure — lessons she now passes down as a theater instructor at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Florida.

This summer, Frye steps back onto the Miller stage to tackle the reimagined role of Prospera. Under Ott’s direction, the shift from father to mother adds deep layers to the character's protective instincts, betrayal and journey toward forgiveness.

“Sharon has been amazing and generous in her directing, giving us the space we need to find these moments, these characters and these relationships,” Frye said. “She’s helping us bring them to the stage in our own way while supporting her vision as well.”

Ultimately, Frye believes there is no better canvas for “The Tempest” than the open air at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

"To do this outdoors is exactly how it needs to be done because it's so expansive,” Frye said. “Sitting out on the hill with your snacks and your picnic blanket under the stars and listening to these words, it's so memorable. It’s an experience that really isn't in every single state or city, so it’s such a blessing that Houston has this."