By William
Shakespeare
Directed by John
Basil
American Globe
Theatre (www.americanglobe.org)
145 West 46
Equity approved
showcase (through April 14)
Review by David
Mackler
Director John Basil begins the American Globe Theatre’s
production of The Tempest with a dance
performance by the Sprites: Inna
Beynishes, Ashley Anne Russ and Rebecca MacDougall (nicely choreographed
by Alisa Claire) to indicate the
storm. Although Basil’s jettisoned the play’s first scene, the combination of
movement, impressive lighting by Mark
Hankla (with the wrathful Prospero lit in red), excellent music and very
effective sound effects (by Scott
O’Brien), assures the audience it is in good hands. This impression is only
reinforced when the characters begin to speak.
The usually plodding bit of exposition where Prospero (Richard Fay) explains to Miranda (Uma Incrocci) pretty much who they are
and how they got where they are is turned into an interesting story, and the
good natured by-play between father and daughter shows they do indeed have a
past, in spite of all this being new information to her.
The rest continues in this vein. There’s a wonderful comic
aspect to Ariel (Elizabeth Keefe),
and it’s completely clear who she and Caliban (Brian Morvant) are, and why they do what they do. (Both are
wonderfully physical actors as well.) Miranda’s
goofy attraction to Ferdinand (Christopher
Newell) is charming and real, and it’s completely understandable when he
gets goofy over her too. There’s some breathtakingly funny comic stuff from
Stephano (Todd Courson) and
especially Mat Sanders’ Trinculo,
both verbally (that Shakespeare’s a really funny guy!) and physically.
It’s not so incidental that the director is the author of Will Power:
How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days – this company is possibly the
best spoken and acted Shakespearean troupe this side of the
The text is so clearly delivered and the quality of the
acting so high that Sebastian (Robert
Ierardi) and Antonio (Rainard
Rachele) conspiring at long last makes sense; Alonzo’s (Bob Armstrong) bewilderment is real and
character driven; Stanley Harrison’s
Gonzalo is funny, charming, befuddled, and altogether superb. And there’s a
wonderful moment at the end where Ariel’s tenderness to Prospero gives added
depth to his change of heart. It’s great when a director and author and actors are
so in tune.
There are also extraordinarily lush costumes (by Jim Parks) (and kudos to the cast that
can carry off wearing them, hats included); luminous and mood altering lighting
throughout; a set (designed by Kevin Lee
Allen) that’s very well-used – a green platform, slightly askew, set on a
floor painted blue and surrounded by drapes that were nearly characters in the
play themselves. There were also three very large books stage left – representing
Propsero’s power, of course, that’s in the text, but also the appeal of the
author’s work. You could do worse than be stuck on an isolated island with a
copy of The Complete William Shakespeare
for companionship.
Writing: 2
Directing: 2
Acting: 2
Sets: 2
Costumes: 2
Lighting/Sound: 2
Copyright 2007 David Mackler
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