BWW Reviews: THE TEMPEST by Nashville Shakespeare Festival

Neither a compelling Brian Webb Russell nor a luminous Denice Hicks - both of whom give richly textured performances as Prospero and Ariel, respectively - can save the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of The Tempest from Claire Syler's inartful concept and plodding direction. What should be an imaginative tribute to life, a joyous offering of theatre magic at its best, instead remains stagebound and lackluster in this mounting of what is almost certainly The Bard's final work.

As one of Nashville's leading professional theatre companies, Nashville Shakespeare Festival has a responsibility to its audiences to always be at the top of its game. However, The Tempest is not a prime example of what NSF does best; rather, this production has a feeling of academic theatre pervading it.

Although both Russell and Hicks are clearly at the top of their game with their exquisite performances, - honed from years of experience in the theatre and underscored by their shared joie de vivre and their obvious understanding of the text - the rest of the ensemble are an uneven lot of veterans and neophytes and those in between. While there are moments of bliss to be found in the production, glimmers of the promise that is surely to be found, there remains a lack of passion and what results is a didactic presentation that fails to inspire.

Hampered by the damnable acoustics of Belmont University's Troutt Theatre (surely, one would think, some of the money spent to rehabilitate the building could have gone to ensure better sound) and a pleasant-enough sounding, though sometimes overpowering, musical score by Mario DaSilva, Syler's cast is hamstrung and the very musicality of Shakespeare's words falls flat in their delivery. The play's themes of vengeance, virtue and redemption remain intact, yet somehow lose much of their impact when the audience struggles to make sense of the story amid the muddled sounds of the venue - and, unfortunately, some of the passages are overwhelmed by the overzealous performance of DaSilva's score.

There are, however, some successful elements to be found in the production, not the least of which is Hicks' high-flying performance. Thanks to the flying effects of ZFX Inc., her Ariel soars above the action and Hicks obviously delights in her ability to take wing, which infuses her performance with a certain lightness.

Thankfully, whenever Hicks and Russell are together onstage, the true promise of The Tempest is realized and their shared passion is palpable. Their shared affection is genuine, adding greatly to the onstage relationship between Prospero and his Ariel. Russell's performance is particularly noteworthy for his obvious grasp of the literature and his ability to interpret that for his audience.

Among the supporting cast, David Wilkerson (as Sebastian) and Phil Perry (Gonzalo) deliver expressive and confident peformances, and Christopher Scott Campbell (Stephano) and Dustin Napier (Trinculo) are appropriately slapstick in their comic turns. Jon Royal, playing Prospero's beastly minion Caliban, gives a strong physical performance, but his lines are often unintelligible. Christiana White as Miranda and Steven Berryessa as Ferdinand lack the polish of the more accomplished cast members, although both are obviously talented and could have benefitted from a stronger directorial hand.

Erica Edmonson's set design provides a good backdrop for the play's action, although her color scheme is less than pleasing. Costumes, designed by June Kingsbury, are beautifully crafted, and Anne Willingham contributes an exceptionally well-executed lighting design for the production.

- The Tempest. By William Shakespeare. Directed by Claire Syler. Presented by Nashville Shakespeare Theatre at Troutt Theatre at Belmont University, Nashville. Through January 31. For details, visit the company website at www.nashvilleshakes.org.

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