Round-Up: The Tempest
The Tempest is a very complicated show, to jog your memory, here is a short synopsis:
"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare is a captivating play set on a remote island, blending elements of comedy, romance, and magic. The story revolves around Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, who was exiled to the island along with his young daughter Miranda years ago. Using his command over the spirits of the island, Prospero conjures a tempest that shipwrecks his brother Antonio, who had usurped his dukedom, and a group of other characters. Stranded on the island, the shipwrecked party encounters various enchanting and mysterious phenomena. Among them are Miranda, who falls in love at first sight with Ferdinand, the son of Alonso, the King of Naples, and Ariel, a spirit in Prospero's service. Prospero, driven by a desire for justice and reconciliation, manipulates events to bring about the redemption and transformation of those who wronged him. Through his magical abilities, Prospero orchestrates encounters, tests characters' loyalty, and reveals the consequences of their past actions. He also grapples with his own humanity, contemplating forgiveness and the transient nature of power.
As the play progresses, Prospero's machinations lead to the eventual reconciliation of the characters, the revelation of his true identity to his enemies, and his own decision to renounce his magic. Ultimately, "The Tempest" explores the power of forgiveness, the triumph of love, and the transformative nature of mercy, leaving the audience with a sense of resolution and harmony. The play delves into themes of revenge, forgiveness, illusion, and the complexity of human nature. With its lyrical language, captivating characters, and exploration of profound themes, "The Tempest" remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring and thought-provoking works, reminding audiences of the enduring power of forgiveness and the complexity of the human spirit.
Overall, the cast has worked very hard to prepare for this performance. Throughout the play, the characters were expressing lots of emotion and truly put in the energy to bring the play to life. The play featured a very engaging and deep story, and the cast was certainly able to display that in the performance. The setting itself(below) was a well-prepared and creative thrust stage which was appropriate for this specific play, as characters could run behind the curtains and set in between scenes very quickly and efficiently.
The crew took advantage of the space very wisely and it was obvious that they worked very hard on making the whole play possible.
Thank you to everyone who was involved in the play!
As the lights dimmed and the play started, I truly felt like I was a minor character. Between the excellent acting and the straightforward yet engaging setting created by the production crew, I was riveted by the story of the Tempest. I was fascinated by the character transformation shown by Prospero played by Leonardo Gregori-del Rosario. Prospero went from being brutal to a more empathetic character. I look forward to another play next year.
Here are a few words from Mr. Giordano:
Many thanks are due to the many folks who helped make this production possible…
To all the families and caregivers of the cast, thank you for your commitment, support, and good cheer.
Thank you, Dr. Botti, for your enthusiastic and unwavering support of this project.
For administrative support, thanks a million to Theresa Rodriguez, Janet Lien, Jenna Montemayor, Eric Ogden, Ophelia Ma, Meg Ryan, Danielle Passno, Jan Abernathy, Aaron Grill, Jim D'Angelo, Sandy Pelz, Robyn Wixman, and Jeremy Katz.
Extra special thanks to Alexander Falberg and Katie Capulli for all of their kindness and generosity.
For logistical, technical, promotional, and/or emotional support, loads of thanks to Shane Beatty, Kenny Marshall, Curtis Giscombe, Kevin Gihon, Russell Garrett, Richmond Perera, Glenn Walker, Murielle Louis, Samantha Gill, Anna LaSala-Goettler, Jessie Soles, Michael Klein, Kate Bancroft, Ben Becker, Malcolm Jamison, Alan Yorke, John Campbell, Angelica Maxwell-Ordain, Evelyn Cartagena, Andrew West, Mike Cohn, Stafford Travers, Emma Brown, Roshann Vasquez, Tunde Csonka, Esther Nunoo, and Christina Sethi.
Thank you once again to Tim Brownell of the Brearley School for the enthusiastic role he played in making this great collaboration happen.
Thank you to the incredible design team of Roni Sipp, Some Pak, and Zack Lobel. And to Dominic Galiotto for lending his carpentry skills to this project.
We were blessed to have Hannah Hickok's musical expertise and Rebecca Burke's lovely choreographic contributions to the show.
Thanks as well to Kevin MacLeod (freesound.org).
Finally, an extra shout out to Brita Stimpson and Noah Lehr for bringing their passions to this endeavor day and and day out without fail. You guys are awesome.
This performance was made possible, in part, by The Class of 2012 Endowed Fund for the Performing Arts.
