Review: THE TEMPEST at The Colonial Theatre

Shakespeare, late in his career, braided many of his preoccupations—love, the machinations of court, magic, low comedy, visual spectacle, theatre itself—into what may be his culminant work, "The Tempest." The Colonial Theatre production in Wilcox Park, Westerly, ticks all these boxes, offering a spectacular evening that will surprise and delight even long-time fans of the Bard's last solo play.

Drawing on stories of storms and shipwrecks filtering back to England from the nascent colonies, Shakespeare crafts a story centered on the revenge plans of Prospera, the exiled Duke of Milan (played with thoughtful vigor by Lee Fitzpatrick). Prospera and her daughter, Miranda (Lindsay Rodriguez) have been stranded on a deserted island, populated only by a magical spirit, Ariel (Patrick Mark Saunders) and a rebellious native, Caliban (David Heron), both kept in line by magic. When the Duke's usurping brother Antonio (Charles T. Meier) and the complicit King Alonso of Naples (Peter Tedeschi) and their company pass the island, Prospera tasks Ariel to raise a tempest that wrecks their ship and then splits their party into three groups, the better to manipulate them.

Prospera is often seen as a stand-in for Shakespeare himself, using the magic of words. Fitzpatrick's gender-swapped portrayal makes her mother to Miranda, and she ably balances parental love and high magic in a richly nuanced turn. Her scenes with Ariel allow her clear delight in the workings of her plot to shine through. In a powerful interpolation, director Marion Markham adds a line about witchcraft as one of the ways Prospera's enemies ousted her from Milan, citing "the flames now fanned," foregrounding anti-rationalism (then, and now) as a theme.

Markham has made judicious cuts throughout the script to bring the run time to just about 90 minutes—most notably, the majority of the wedding masque in Act II—and moves the action along with pacing that feels just right. Markham has coached excellent performances from the entire company, and the Elizabethan cadences feel natural and unforced.

Rodriguez plays Miranda with wide-eyed charm, and her scenes with Ferdinand (Nicholas Byers) are refreshingly authentic, as he struggles to win the trust of her mother. Heron's Caliban is a fiery, complex character; deeply human and individually damaged, while at the same time an unabashedly post-colonial symbol. It's a standout performance. There is a beat in the last scene between Heron and Rodriguez that Markham has turned into a powerful little set piece, converting Prospera's dismissal of Caliban into a contest of wills. Watch for it. It's one of those magical moments of high theatricality that pepper this production. 

Leavening the romance and magic is the slapstick subplot featuring the drunken butler Stephano (Matt Arnold) and the jester Trinculo (Jason Guy). Their ribaldry and pie-eyed plotting with Caliban to take over the island are a delight.

Technically, this is an outstanding production. John Tedeschi's set is simple but interestingly detailed, and Hailey O'Leary's lighting design is highly effective, and shows off to great effect both the set and Jaysen Engel's finely  executed costumes. Sound—never something to take for granted in an outdoor performance—is uniformly excellent, and Lucas Kery's design works flawlessly for both vocals and the many richly produced pieces of occasional music in the script (crafted by director Markham).

The setting in Wilcox Park could not be better. Nestled in a natural bowl with trees rising on all sides, this is a particularly effective backdrop for this play. Get there early and bring your own chair or blanket to get the best seats.

If this is your first "Tempest," this production is a worthy introduction. And even if you've seen the show a few times, you will find many rewarding moments in the fine performances, imaginative direction, and superbly crafted environment. Shakespeare brought much of himself to this elegiac and magical work, and the Colonial admirably captures the enchantment of his vision. Recommended.

"The Tempest," by William Shakespeare, directed by Marion Markham. The Colonial Theatre, Wilcox Park, Westerly, RI, Wednesdays through Sundays, July 22-August 12, 8pm (6pm on August 2). Admission Free, registration required at colonialtheatreart.org. Bring chair or blanket; venue opens 90 minutes before show. Note: Theatrical fog and strobe lights used. Accessibility limited by park paths. Portable toilets available.

Photo credit: Bridget Huss, BridgetQ Photography

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