The Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF) has formed an alliance with visiting artist Tevin Davis ahead of its 47th season at Ewing Cultural Center.
A contestant on the most recent season of the long-running reality show Survivor, Davis has joined the ISF company that will perform productions of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twelfth Night and Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Exactly one year after filming Survivor’s 46th season in the tropical forests of Fiji, Davis is spending this summer in Bloomington-Normal with daytime rehearsals and evening performances under the stars.
The season opens with a preview of Twelfth Night on Wednesday, June 26, at the Theatre at Ewing.
“The facility is gorgeous. It’s stunning out there. I just saw it for the first time last week,” Davis said between rehearsals. “I’m ready to get outside and be surrounded by nature as we do our thing.”
Though he’s more recognized these days for his Survivor role, Davis is no stranger to Shakespeare. The 25-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University graduate has been a regular performer at the American Shakespeare Center in his home state of Virginia since 2022. A few months ago, he had never heard of Bloomington-Normal or Illinois State University.
“Shakespeare brought me here,” he said.
Davis was hesitant to audition for ISF due to overlap between its schedule and Survivor’s broadcast schedule, and he’s been thankful for the ISF staff’s permission for brief absences to attend obligatory Survivor watch parties and press events during the first couple weeks of rehearsals.
Davis’ joyful personality and positivity on Survivor made him a fan favorite; ironically, it played a role in his downfall as he was perceived as a threat by others who exiled Davis in a blindside tribal council vote that made him the eighth contestant voted out and second member of the jury. (As a member of the jury, he was afforded a vote to select the show’s $1 million winner in the final tribal council, which he cast for eventual winner Kenzie Petty.)
Life has been a little different for Davis post-Survivor. He experienced trust issues upon his return and initially noticed changes to his eating habits (contestants on the show persist on a limited diet of rice, foraged food, and occasional meals earned from reward challenges). He’s excited to return to the stage and has already noticed some overlap between performing on Survivor and theatrical stages.
During a recent rehearsal for Macbeth, he told fellow members of the ISF troupe that he was going to treat his performance like Survivor. He saw a few raised eyebrows around him.
“I was like, ‘Y’all are laughing, but I’m serious,’” Davis recalled. “The king has just been murdered. No one knows who to trust. Everyone is deceiving everyone. They’re all trying to position themselves closer to power. My character is trying to unravel what is happening, needing to suss out the power players, and get himself in the best possible situation.
“And that’s all in the game of Survivor: when to trust and when not to trust and positioning yourself in a place that is close to power.”
Davis is already earning fans in Bloomington-Normal. He marched in the Memorial Day parade with the ISF and has taken pictures and signed autographs. He’s quick to offer a smile and a wave when recognized driving his convertible around town—with GPS support, he’s quick to note.
“People who have recognized me have said the most beautiful things, and it’s been more people than I could possibly count,” Davis said. “It’s been an overwhelming amount of love.”
Davis will get to showcase his range through three very different characters in this summer’s ISF productions. “I get to be comical, I get to be stoic and serious, and I get to be a rich (expletive),” Davis said, laughing. “It’s the full gambit.”
“I’m ready to get outside and be surrounded by nature as we do our thing.”
—Tevin Davis
He also hopes to take part in ISF’s programming that offers the community a peak behind the curtain. He wants to explore Bloomington-Normal eventually, he hopes, without GPS assistance.
“I’m not just here to show you I can act and then leave,” he said. “I like all the extra stuff where I get to connect with the community a little bit more.”
This ISF season will be special for reasons beyond Davis’ appearance. It’ll be the final season for retiring Artistic Director John C. Stark who will be succeeded by current Associate Artistic Director Robert Quinlan, whose longtime ISF association continues as the director of Twelfth Night this summer.
Davis is happy to play whatever role he can in the success of ISF.
“Everyone here is read-up, studied-up, researched-up, and they know the work, and I like when I’m surrounded by people who know the work,” Davis said. “So, it’s been nice.”
The full ISF schedule and ticketing information are available at IllinoisShakes.com or by calling the Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at (309) 438-2535.
