BWW Interviews: THE TEMPEST Storms Into Black Box Arts Center

The weather forecast may be clear this weekend, but a storm is approaching the Black Box Arts Center in Shepherdstown as William Shakespeare's The Tempest opens Friday, May 29.

The Tempest, directed by Hillary Crum, is one of Shakespeare's lesser-known shows and believed to be the last play Shakespeare wrote alone. The Tempest tells the tale of Prospero, the Duke of Milan and his daughter, Miranda, who have been stranded on a remote island for years. Prospero appears to possess magical powers and conjures a storm to shipwreck his brother Antonio and King Alonso on the island as well. To bring the story of The Tempest to life, the cast worked on making Shakespeare's language both accessible and enjoyable to a modern audience.

"The most enjoyable aspect has been the opportunity to work with Shakespeare's language. I've always loved it, but this is my first time directing a Shakespeare play, so the most challenging this has probably also been the language. It's lovely, but it has been quite a task to make it playable" said director Hillary Crum

"We went through the process of internalizing the text of Shakespeare in a manner that is much more in-depth than one would experience in any high school English course" said Mitchell Wajda, who plays Caliban.

The cast also worked on developing the complex relationships between the characters.

"The most challenging aspect is learning how to move and speak a different way. I've never performed any of Shakespeare's plays before, so it is definitely a challenge understanding it. Because I am a spirit, I have to move very elegantly and swiftly. This was very different from anything I've ever done, but I enjoy it" said Amanda Butcher, who plays the Shipmaster and a Spirit.

"Portraying the villainous Caliban has marked to be one of the biggest challenges I have faced as an actor. Caliban's physical deformation has proved to be a challenging feat" said Wajda.

"The most enjoyable aspect of working on this production is the wonderful cast and crew members that I get to work with. Every rehearsal brings me joy because of the humor and personalities of everyone there" said Butcher. "I also should mention that I have an incredible cast and they are lovely to work with!" added Crum.

The cast is eagerly preparing for opening night and cannot wait to share this rare Shakespeare show with an audience.

"It will be a great experience for the viewer. The Tempest has drama, action, romance, and even comedy. It's appropriate for all audiences, and it's a wonderful show" said Butcher. "The play is one of the most exotic of Shakespeare's. It is exotic in terms of the island location and also spectacle in terms of the web of deceit, malice, and ultimately humility of the characters. It stands as a powerful journey because of these anecdotes" said Wajda

"The Tempest isn't an often-produced Shakespeare [play], and my cast has done an amazing job making some very wordy poetry into a visually beautiful theatrical piece" said Crum.

The Tempest cast also features Kit Thornton as Prospero, Madi Barnes as Ariel, Timothy Butcher as Sebastian, Henry deBuchananne as Antonio, Elizabeth Absher as Alonso, Homer Speaker as Gonzalo, Una Adkins as Francisco, Jack Younis as Ferdinand, Abigail Alegret as Miranda, Cullen Byers as Trinculo, Keith Shifflet as Stephano, Elizabeth Jones as Boatswain and Amanda Butcher, Emily Webb, Emily Bradford and Brigid Bakin as Spirits.

The Tempest runs May 29, 31 and June 5, 6 and 7 at 8:00 PM. All performances occur at the Black Box Arts Center at 113 South Princess Street in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Tickets are $15.00 for all performances. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://blackboxartscenter.org/

Photo Credit: Black Box Arts Center

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