The touring troupe “The Acting Company” gave a single performance of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” as part of the Popejoy Presents series. I found the production uneven: innovative in some areas but inaccessible in others.
 

The story of “The Tempest” is deceptively simple yet profound and revolves around separation, revenge, reunion, and the triumph of forgiveness. Prospero, former Duke of Milan, is exiled to a magical island by his enemies—including his brother Antonio, the Duke of Naples Alonso, and Alonso’s brother Sebastian. For a dozen years Prospero raises his daughter Miranda, but when his foes approach his island, Prospero conjures up a storm to bring them under his control. Instead of unleashing his wrath, however, Prospero learns and practices forgiveness. Such a synopsis would have helped many in the audience follow the action, and more precise articulation among the actors would have helped many better understand the dialogue. To demonstrate the unevenness I call attention to, let me discuss the costumes. The visitors to Prospero’s island were sumptuously dressed in ivory and gold, beautiful Edwardian long coats with lace at collar and cuff. Prospero, however, wore a drab plaid bathrobe over pajamas in a clashing plaid. Nothing in the text would explain such a choice by director Davis McCallum and costume designer Clint Ramos. The most spectacular and effective costume belonged to the airy spirit Ariel. She was clad in a striking skin-tight white outfit from head to foot with a wrap-around white skirt that flowed into a long train. A puff of tulle at her head made her almost bridal in her appearance. The other supernatural character, Caliban, that earthbound son of a witch, wore earth-colored shirt and pants, despite Shakespeare’s repeated references to his fishlike appearance. If the aquatic lines are being ignored, why not cut them? A nice touch was his clear plastic protective dog collar.

As for acting, Christopher Oden was an understated Prospero whose performance was as muted as his costume. Kelley Curran—clad in a white ruffled dress, fuchsia tights, and boots—played Miranda and worked well with Curran. There was, however, little chemistry between her and love Ferdinand (Timothy Sekk). Acting plaudits go to Victoire Charles as Ariel. Her subtle body movements gave her an otherworldly quality, and she sang beautifully. The comedy was provided by Peter Macklin as Trinculo and David Foubert as Stephano who join Caliban and plan to supplant Prospero. Inexplicably, Michael Stewart Allen performed Caliban with an Irish lilt.

The Acting Company brought its own platform stage that included several traps that opened to allow various effects. The stage contained a revolving office chair and a 10-step rolling warehouse ladder with a platform at the top that was over eight feet from the ground. This ladder was used by characters who watched others on stage. A gentleman behind me who often proclaimed to his wife (and everyone near him) that he didn’t understand what was happening on stage was one of the first on his feet in a standing ovation for the performers. Such is the power of Shakespeare.

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