The
Tempest
By
William Shakespeare
Directed by Brian B. Crowe
Critical
Reviews
"A
triumph!"
"The unparalleled phantasmagoria that is 'The Tempest'
is being honored with considerable intelligence and ingenuity."
--The New York Times
A Sense Of Joy Pervades An Island in The New York Times
Sunday, November 17, 2002
By Alvin Klein
The setting is a never-never land of blue leaves that hang
suspended, kingsize and treeless. Here is where reality and
illusion converge, and Nature is defied. Have you ever seen
blue leaves?
Nothing is as it appears. If something is, it may disappear.
Spirits melt into air and a ship wrecked by a furious storm
turns out to be not wrecked at all, with its passengers safe.
In fact, Shakespeare's "The Tempest," produced by the New
Jersey Shakespeare Festival, has nothing to do with a tempest.
Abounding in abstractions, with more exposition than plot,
and odd, fantastical characters, controlled by a mighty scholarly
magician, this buoyant play, which can still be called experimental,
is at the mercy of perverse directorial conceits, more so
than Shakespeare's others. Often, it is overly interpreted
and laborious in performance. Luckily, Brian B. Crowe, the
director here, has imparted a sense of lightness and joy,
without which, "The Tempest" could be hifalutin and academic.
Mr. Crowe acknowledges the play's visionary aspect and belief
in ideals. It may sound lofty to talk of atonement, purification
and reconciliation as Shakespeare's themes, but these emerge
gracefully.
Prospero, a virtuous Duke who would rather study than rule,
wrongly handed over the responsibilities of his dukedom to
his conspiring brother Antonio, but in the end sets everything
right with his magical powers. One expects more nuance and
less artifice from John Curless whose stagy elocution as Prospero
overtakes the role's many colors and layered texture.
Caliban, almost an anagram for cannibal, a "poisonous slave,"
may represent the lowliest elements of being, but his is a
heightened lyric language. Though supposedly he has been corrupted
by civilization, he is not as evil as, and more natural than,
Antonio and Sebastian, who personify the cruelty of civilized
men. Gregory Derelian's performance suggests that Caliban
may be more thoughtful, cryptic and victimized than merely
savage.
It is hard to believe that Michael Stewart Allen, enshrouded
in a rippling body cover as a most airy and lithe Ariel, is
not a professional dancer, so choreographically eloquent are
his movements.
The festival's staging is a triumph for Matthew Adelson,
the lighting designer, and Dipu Gupta, who did the sets. Throughout,
a slanted frame of burnished gold provides striking images
and a mirror-like reflection of the past.
The unparalleled phantasmagoria that is "The Tempest" is
being honored with considerable intelligence and ingenuity.
A dream of a 'Tempest' in Madison - The Star-Ledger
Wednesday, November 06, 2002
By Peter Filichia
Star-Ledger Staff
Since Shakespeare wrote "The Tempest" in 1611, there have
been thousands of Ariels on stage. But arguably none is like
the astonishing one currently seen at the New Jersey Shakespeare
Festival in Madison.
The Bard described Ariel as "an airy spirit," so directors
usually cast someone androgynous, put him or her in tights,
and have him lightly step around the enchanted island in aid
of Prospero, the deposed duke of Milan, who is in exile there.
But the way in which director Brian B. Crowe handles Ariel
once again shows that his imagination knows no bounds.
The young director first proved his creativity in 1999 with
a phantasmagorical vision of "Alice in Wonderland," in which
he designed elaborate masks and headpieces that turned actors
into caterpillars, frogs and dodos. But even audiences who
saw that production may not be prepared for the coup de théâtre
that Crowe has delivered here.
First, picture an actor doing a jumping jack, with arms and
legs extended as far as they can go. Then completely cover
the actor in a blue-green piece of Lycra.
The key word is "completely." Ariel is played by Michael
Stewart Allen, but even his mother wouldn't recognize him,
for he never shows his face in two-plus hours. Allen pokes
his head against the fabric now and again, but to make matters
even more eerie, Crowe has the actor hold a skull in each
of his hands. Thus, the three faces of Ariel.
Allen every now and then stretches one hand as far upward
as it can go, thus giving Ariel the appearance of a giraffe-like
neck with a face pointing upwards. Then he moves and contorts
himself into a man of 1,000 phases, turning into various shapes
as if he were a large drop of mercury.
Nevertheless, no matter how impressive this concept of Ariel,
it wouldn't matter much if the rest of the evening weren't
accomplished. But it is, for this is a beautifully staged
and well-performed "Tempest," too.
John Curless is a potent Prospero, who goes from such anger
that he bestirs a tempest to forgiving his enemies. Curless'
creamy vocal cords admirably serve the play's poetry.
Jennifer Ikeda beautifully conveys the innocence of his shielded
daughter, Miranda. Clark Carmichael is staunch as Ferdinand,
the inadvertent visitor with whom she falls in love. He has
a nice comic moment, too, when, in his first meeting with
Miranda, he speaks all-too-loudly and gesticulates wildly
-- assuming that she doesn't understand him, but certainly
will if he raises his voice.
As Caliban, the son of a witch, who has been saddled with
sloth-like toes and a tail, Gregory Derelian manages to make
an inhuman the most human of all. Jeffrey M. Bender is a great
deal of fun as the hapless jester Trinculo.
By Act Four, Scene One, when Curless' Prospero eloquently
states the play's most famous line -- "We are such stuff as
dreams are made on" -- theatergoers will be glad that Brian
B. Crowe has the ability to dream so boldly.
Festival's "Tempest" casts magical spell
By William Westhoven
Daily Record
Tapping into the very roots of this year's "Grand Magic"
theme, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival has got its mojo
working at full throttle with a sparkling production of "The
Tempest," which premiered last weekend at Drew University
in Madison.
In addition to an ensemble of appealing actors, director
Brian B. Crowe, who triumphed with last year's production
of "A Comedy of Errors," has assembled another delightful
visual treat.
It may not have the exotic scenery of "Survivor: Thailand,"
but Shakespeare's shipwreck survivors have washed up on a
stage full of wonders for the eye to behold. Stone-washed
blue drapes and backdrop create the illusion of an island
surrounded by a stormy, white-capped ocean, while the stage
itself is a rolling tide of wavy curves.
With hardly a flat space to stand on, it may seem more appropriate
for an extreme biking competition, but the cast negotiated
it without incident. To the left, a huge picture frame is
employed to present flashbacks and visions, with clever lighting
used to make the cloud scene within the frame "vanish" whenever
you need to see through it. Above, oversized blue leaves hang
like banners, driving home the point that this is not your
typical resort island.
The director gets to take a bow here for putting it all together,
but the artistic staff, most notably set designer Dipu Gupta
and costume designer C. David Russell, deserves heaps of praise
as well.
Oh, yeah, pretty good story, too. Some consider "The Tempest"
to be Shakespeare's best, if not most popular, work, and Crowe
keeps this magical tale moving along at a lively pace.
Told and retold in many forms over the years, "The Tempest"
is a serio-comic tale that concerns Prospero (John Curless),
the exiled Duke of Milan who was usurped by his brother, Antonio
(Allyn Burrows), and eventually ended up on a remote, enchanted
island with his daughter, Miranda (Jennifer Ikeda). There,
Prospero learns the art of magic and rules the spirits dwelling
there, until the opportunity comes for revenge when Antonio
and his partners in crime are spotted on a passing ship. Prospero
conjures up the titular storm to strand the conspirators and
torment them with the help of his favored spirit, Ariel (NJSF
veteran Michael Stewart Allen takes the role here).
But, this being a tale of magical transformation, Prospero
finds rebirth in the healing powers of love and forgiveness.
He also finds a suitable husband for Miranda, and there's
nothing wrong with that, either.
There are plenty of subplots that give several more characters
a moment in the sun, not to mention a dose of slapstick and
more merriment. And in most cases, the actors shine. Curless
lend[s] a sly sense of humor to the character that is critical
to the central plot. Ikeda captures the wide-eyed innocence
and curiosity you expect from Miranda, a young woman who has
seen few humans other than her father.
Burrows (a dead ringer for a young Robert Redford) and Demosthenes
Chrysan (as Sebastian) are suitably oily villains, while Gregory
Derelian makes for a surprisingly sympathetic Caliban, the
monster enslaved by Prospero for attempting to rape Miranda.
Hooking up with castaways Trinculo (a gloriously goofy Jeffrey
M. Bender, looking and sounding like a Monty Pythonesque twit)
and Stefano (Dave Shalansky), their feeble plot to take over
the island is undone by dim wits and bad wine.
The final gold star goes out to Allen, whose face is not
seen until the final curtain. Encased in a thin, stretchable
blue fabric, holding face masks in each hand, he twists, turns
and contorts as he pushes the masks against the cloth, creating
the illusion of a malleable body with a face that can pop
up out of almost anywhere. Other spirits are garbed in similar
costumes, but it must have taken a lot of effort, and imagination,
for Allen to pull off this gimmick without it wearing thin
after a while. He's absolutely amazing.
At the beginning of the season, festival director Bonnie
Monte expressed her ambition to demonstrate the power of theater
to create magic and alchemy. In this case, Monte, and the
spirits she's assembled, have proven up to the task.
The New Jersey Shakespeare Festival finds the romantic
core of the Bard's play 'The Tempest' - Princeton
Packet
Thursday 7 November, 2002
By Stuart Duncan
We have become accustomed to Shakespeare productions shifting
locations to New York City subway stations or Brazilian rainforests
- or changing centuries like Jules Verne's time machines.
But the current mounting of The Tempest at the New Jersey
Shakespeare Festival is not only stunningly beautiful, filled
with inventive fun, but the first to make extraordinary use
of spandex.
In a season dedicated to "The Grand Magic," celebrating the
art and alchemy of theater, The Tempest is a natural. The
play is commanded by an exiled Duke who rules an enchanted
island by means of his "books." He has beaten back the challenge
of an evil spirit to gain his position, and then used his
powers to control wind and tides to shipwreck his enemies.
Surprisingly, some scholars often dwell on themes of revenge
and moral retribution, when at heart the play seems deeply
romantic. Director Brian Crowe has clearly taken his cue from
the familiar line: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on."
He treats the work as an allegory of love and forgiveness.
And thus he has spent much time with the spirits of the island.
Scholars tell us that the island must be Bermuda, since its
discovery came just a year before the play is thought to have
been written. It was widely believed that Bermuda was inhabited
by spirits of all kinds. Shakespeare not only filled his island
with spirits, but picked one, Ariel, as Prospero's special
attendant, working diligently for his eventual spiritual freedom.
Director Crowe has a fine company to work with - a mixture
of professionals and non-professionals; newcomers and veterans.
John Curless plays Prospero in a slightly more laid-back manner
than some others in the role. Jim Mohr is an empathetic Gonzalo.
Gregory Derelian is a strong Caliban. All are veterans with
the Festival. Newcomer Demosthenes Chrysan impresses as Sebastian.
And Jennifer Ikeda, also in her first season, plays Miranda
with grace and just the right tinge of awe. Jeffrey Bender
steals scenes as Trinculo, a habit he has developed over the
past four summers.
But it is the spandex-garbed spirits that define this production
and will be remembered. Michael Stewart Allen is an extraordinary
Ariel, twisting pretzel-like into shapes almost unimaginable.
I kept thinking of one of those active lava lamps. The other
spirits of the island drift in and out - much as one supposes
spirits do. They are a corps of seven: Amanda Duffy, Meredith
Pasmantier, Teresa Stephenson, Corey Tazmania, Mark Thornton,
Doug West and Kurt Uy. If the last mentioned sounds familiar
to you, you have seen him for the last four years at Theatre-Intime
on the Princeton University campus.
|
