Although William Shakespeares The Tempest centers around water, actors sailed through the

performance, making it far from a shipwreck.

The Tempest focuses on castaway Prospero and his daughter, Miranda. Prospero ruled as the
Duke of Milan before his brother Antonio usurped his throne. In the 12 years that passed since
his banishment, his daughter Miranda grew up in isolation, never interacting with anyone except
her father and his two servants Ariel and Caliban. So when Ferdinand, the Prince of Naples, is
summoned to the island through Ariel, it is no surprise that Miranda becomes quickly smitten.
With the help of Ariel and his daughter, Prospero plans to restore his throne.
In portraying Mirandas innocence, actress Caroline Strange developed her character well
through body language, facial expressions and interactions with others. In particular, she
appeared wide-eyed and eager, often looking up at her father as she sat crossed-legged, which
was very appropriate for her character.
review

Performance: The Tempest

Location: Paul Green Theatre, November 10
Stars: ????
Performers Maren Searle and Jeffrey Blair Cornell, who played Ariel and Caliban, respectively,
brought life to their distinctive characters. Never did Cornell break from slouched posture and
breathy voice of the grotesque Caliban. Searle embodied her character through her stiff posture
and alert mannerisms.
The costume and make-up artists successfully transformed the actresses who played male
characters, such as Julie Fishell, who portrayed Prospero, and Kathryn Hunter-Williams, who
portrayed Alonzo. In addition, they were able to morph Cornell into a hideous creature through
long, tangled dreadlocks, fake teeth and painted bruises all over his body. Searle, on the other
hand, wore a tight and translucent bodysuit and a white hat that looked like an onion: a bizarre
costume for a bizarre character.
The Tempest had both strange and funny characters. In particular, the drunken butler Stephano
who feeds Caliban wine switches the plays tone from serious to one of comedy. Despite Julia
Gibson portraying Stephano as a drunk who could barely stand up after falling on his beer belly,
Caliban, after sipping wine for the first time, begins to worship him as a god. Together, the
storyline of Stephano, Caliban and the jester Trinculo added an absurd but interesting dynamic to
the performance.
Related Content
On View Near You for May 15

By Sarah Vassello 8 hours ago

Food Truck Rodeo drives charity

By Kristina Kokkonos 05/14/15 10:03pm

Fridays on the Front Porch tradition evolves

By Erin Wygant 05/14/15 4:10am

Q&A with comedian Wyatt Cenac

By Sarah Vassello 05/12/15 11:02am

Q&A with music critic Jessica Hopper

By Sarah Vassello 05/11/15 9:12pm

On top of the dialogue, band members from Lost in the Trees, Ari Picker and Emma Nadeau,
played a piano and a drum. The musicians only played in a few instances, such as when the
characters were put to sleep or during a romantic encounter with Miranda and Ferdinand, but
when they did play, it created a powerful and moving effect or magic.
To further evoke this sense of magical realism at a poolside setting, the Paul Green Theatre
installed a 15-ton pool within the confines of the stage. For the actors, the pool was just as much
a prop as it was a part of the stage. Actors dipped their hands into the water, some even
submerging their bodies entirely. When the servant Ariel fell from the ceiling into the water, it
gave audience members a splash of uniqueness.
As the play concluded, Prospero spoke his last words. The actors stood on stage, their bodies
forming symmetry, as the stage lights dimmed, and the pool shimmered. Their shadows lined the
background. Prospero threw his book, which possesses his magical powers, into the water,
making it ripple, and the ripples reflected on the back wall, the actors themselves and the rest of
the stage before fading.
Overall the play wove in tragedy, love and a bit of magic and comedy. Through the brilliant
acting and set design, the performance successfully brought these elements together.