Though its cast is committed to the strangeness of the material, The Tempest, onstage at Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse through Nov. 27, lacks much of the magic of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company’s best productions.
The Tavern is most interesting these days when its shows lean into inventive casting and new ideas, embracing the diversity and experimental nature of its talented ensemble company. This summer’s productions of an all-female “The Merchant of Venice” and an all-Black “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” worked because the casts and crew were clearly having a blast approaching old work from new angles. In the spring, the production of “The Country Wife” was rare, raucous and filthy, and its cast was game. Their enthusiasm in all those shows spilled over into the audience members, who are always down for a good time there.
Credit: T'Shauna Henry
Credit: T'Shauna Henry
With “The Tempest,” things are more muddled. Much like the characters lost after a storm, the actors here feel a bit disconnected from each other, rather than committed to a central idea. The most compelling performances come from actors playing characters aligned with magic, yet the styles of performance clash even among them. The regular human characters, meanwhile, come across like pawns in a game. It feels as though this ensemble is playing separately, rather than together.
There are cool elements in the stagecraft, though. The costuming by Anne Carole Butler and Clint Horne is solid, particularly regarding how they dress the sorcerer Prospero, the spirit Ariel and the deformed Caliban. The opening shipwreck is well-choreographed chaos from Director Jaclyn Hofmann Faircloth and Kati Grace Brown, encompassing all levels of the multi-tiered stage. The harpy puppet, designed by Sarah Beth Hester, is a highlight, as well. The lighting design by Greg Hanthorn Jr. is eerie throughout the show, particularly when Caliban emerges from a pit at center stage.
The story of “The Tempest,” though, becomes a bit hard to follow, as the audience gets little idea who these characters are before they’re scattered.
The play begins as a group of Neapolitan nobles, including the king, returning from a distant wedding by ship. The bitter Prospero (Jeff Watkins), once a duke and now exiled for 12 years to an island with his daughter Miranda (Jasmine Renee Ellis), uses magic books and a fairy spirit Ariel (Amanda Lindsey McDonald) to conjure a storm that troubles the ship. Soon, the party of nobles — which includes Prospero’s treacherous brother, Antonio (Mary Ruth Ralston) — is separated and stranded on the weird, enchanted island.
The king’s son Ferdinand (Daryel T. Monson) is lured by Ariel to Prospero’s home, where he falls immediately for Miranda.
Meanwhile, Ariel and a monstrous Caliban (Justin Walker), the son of a witch trapped in a rock for once attacking Miranda, are enslaved by Prospero and do his bidding in an attempt to regain their freedom. Both of them interact with the wandering nobles in an attempt to enchant and deceive them.
Credit: T'Shauna Henry
Credit: T'Shauna Henry
Prospero’s goals seem to be revenge against those who tried to destroy him, but he is not without sympathy. Yet it remains unclear which impulse will guide him.
It’s all very weird. And it has been since William Shakespeare first wrote it in the 17th century.
As Prospero, Watkins commands the language well, delivering his lines with speed and wit. Watkins is best when the character adheres to darker impulses, for he plays the elements of a devious mastermind very well. His words are cutting, leading other performers to appeal to him for warmth and sympathy. It’s an interesting dynamic. And Watkins’ delivery of the final monologue ends the play on a high note.
Ellis, who starred in Lizzie with Actors Express this summer, is excellent once again. Her Miranda is warm and lovely, and Ellis plays up the character’s lusts for a lot of laughs. Her scenes with Monson are romantic and appealing.
Ralston’s Antonio gets limited stage time, yet the performer gives the character an air of sinister treachery, stealing the scenes they are in.
Walker’s Caliban is a strange beast, indeed. The actor is hunched, speaking in a strained voice, struggling as he moves. And yet there is a tragic sadness at the heart of the portrayal, a longing for connection. When the character laughs in a wheezing gasp for air, trying to relate to other characters, the effect is very funny. It’s good work.
And McDonald does terrific work as Ariel. When the character flits about wordlessly in the opening scene to bring about the shipwreck, the character commands attention. When Ariel begs for freedom, not entirely trusting Prospero, McDonald conveys the desperation acutely. Her quest for freedom becomes the driving narrative of the play.
But as a group, both within the play and as an ensemble here, they’re all on different pages. Faircloth excels more at the giant stage elements than at making relationships and dynamics clear among the performers.
The resulting show is a mixed bag.
THEATER REVIEW
“The Tempest”
Through Nov. 27. $15-$44. Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse, 499 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta. 404-874-5299, shakespearetavern.com.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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