We open at sea. With family ties, heirs to the throne, scattered sailors, and spirits abound, The Tempest is a perfect storm of Shakespeare's best devices that, when combined, will leave you wanting to sing in the rain and jump in the puddles.
All photos courtesy of Alexis Furseth. Featuring left to right Hannah Kubiak, Chloe Attalla, William Molitor, Cory Fitzsimmons and Grace Berendt.
Director Alex Metalsky has created an adaptation of the Bard's final play that rotates four actors in all roles around Prospero. The energy and pace captured by this shift is unmatched. This choice both elevates Prospero's status and influence over the story and illuminates the full range of talent among the ensemble.
And, what an ensemble it is! Prospero (William Molitor) rules the space with a steady hand and kind heart. He encapsulates the power and gentility of a true king and is the foundation upon which the constructed chaos of the show can flourish.
Featuring left to right William Molitor and Chloe Attalla.
Chloe Attalla brings the heart of the tale through Miranda, Prospero's daughter who falls for a lost sailor. She balances Miranda's need to step into the next phase of her life with a tender affection for her father. The two elements together fulfill the subtext of a young woman on the cusp of what's next.
A true physical actor, Cory Fitzsimmons plays roles from decrepit Gonzalo and animalistic Caliban to flamboyant spirit Ceres. He makes it look easy, leaping and bounding about the multi-platform set, even slipping under and through unseen portions of the space.
Featuring left to right Cory Fitzsimmons, Grace Berendt and Hannah Kubiak.
Grace Berendt and Hannah Kubiak are experts of their instruments. Their scenes together are the much anticipated comedic interludes of Trinculo and Stephano, Tempest's own Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Between unique voices and dialects, their work is a distinct highlight of the piece. Then, with fight choreography by Ben Compton, Berendt and Kubiak engage in a battle onstage whose creativity and delivery can only be rivaled by that achieved by cartoons.
The chorus actors all play Ariel, the spirit who does Prospero's bidding, dissected into the four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. What can sometimes fall too close to Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream is instead made the embodiment of Mother Earth's command over all who share her.
Featuring left to right Grace Berendt, Cory Fitzsimmons and Chloe Attalla.
The scenic design is a transformative. Inspiration Studios is a very intimate space, and with Metalsky's eye for design, he achieves a "bigger on the inside" effect. Ropes Platforms, steps, passthroughs, curtains, and more recreate not only the aesthetics but the practical functions of a ship onstage.
The Tempest is a celebration of art. This performance asks you to step out of your comfort zone and be a part of the tale. With eye contact and gifts and instruments and dancing, you are invited to make merry with the players. While this can be intimidating at first, the tone is never pushy. Instead, the open-arms perspective allows for laughter and whimsy throughout the venue, breaking free of the confines of theatre as a product to be consumed and returning to the roots of the art. The play is no longer about the characters alone, but the joy of storytelling itself and our shared role in bringing it to life.
Don't miss the boat on this one - get your tickets here. The show runs through February 19th.
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