The Tempest, thought to be one of Shakespeare’s last plays, is the
tapestry for Pittsburgh Public Theater’s new Artistic Director, Marya Sea
Kaminski’s directorial debut. With an
all-female cast and injecting a modern battle with breast cancer, Kaminski gives
this 1600’s tale of Prospero’s journey on
a magical island a new facelift. Although I subscribe to the group that is not
“Shakespeare savvy”, I was excited to experience Kaminski’s inventive collision
of the modern world with the magical world in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest.
Reflection
Experiencing Shakespeare
live elevates ones appreciation of his masterful poetic story telling. This contemporary
interpretation of The Tempest (a
play written with waves of drama and comedy), adds a strong female
cast, trimmed text, and a towering mountainous
set with an array of special effects. This version converted this timid Shakespearean
spectator into a new fan.
The Tempest opens quietly in a Pittsburgh oncology unit as Prospero played
by Tamara Tunie (best known for role on the
TV show Law and Order: SUV) battles her disease. Emotions of pain, frustration,
and anger with her family, are expressed
in silence through Tunie’s facial expressions as her doctor, nurse, a resident,
an orderly and family, pass through her room.
During Prospero’s dream, the Shakespearean story begins.
The set rotates as she walks through the window entering the mystical world. Transformed, Prospero has magical powers and
lives on an island with her daughter, Miranda
(Kerry Warren), the nymph, Arial (Janelle Velasque ) and an enslaved creature,
Caliban (Shammen McCune). It reminded me
of The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy's house was uprooted from Kansas and crashed in the Land of Oz. Dorothy's family and friends, like the
hospital personnel, are the characters in both enchanted worlds.
 |
| Tamara Tunie as Prospero * |
Tunie as Prospero commands the stage as a
powerful strong magician summoning a
feverish storm. She shipwrecks her enemies- sister, Tonio (Rami Margron) and Queen
Alonso (Deena Aziz), who stole her dukedom. The Queen’s
son, Ferdinand (Rad Pereira), the Queen’s sister, Sebastian (Arayana Sedarati),
advisor, Gonzalo (Laurie Klatscher) drunk servant, Stephano (Bethany Caputo) and clown, Trinculo (Jamie
Agnello) are all washed ashore after the storm.
 |
| Ahmmen McCune as Caliban, Bethany Caputo as Stephano and Jamie Agnello as Trinculo * |
The Tempest gives us a vengeful Prospero whose journey ends in forgiveness. Along this
journey, the show has a little romance and love connection between Miranda and
Ferdinand. A lot of humor from the brilliant timing and physical comedy of Stephano the drunk, Trinculo the clown, and Caliban the creature. The Pittsburgh Youth Choir as island spirits adds an eerie
backdrop during the storm. The nymph, Arial with her side kicks, adds a fun singing girl group number to the show.
My friend turned to me
and said, “I loved it even if I did not understand it all.” Kaminski’s direction
brilliantly intersects the present world with this classic play. Even if you’re not an avid Shakespearean fan, you will be wowed with it’s creatively and modern facelift. Prospero’s battle whether on the mystical island or in the hospital room reminds us that ultimate peace and freedom are
found through acceptance and forgiveness, not by anger and revenge.
* photo by Michael Henninger
(PPT's The Tempest runs from January 24 through February 24, 2019 at the O'Reilly Theater. For tickets go to ppt.org.)
Spiritual Source
* photo by Michael Henninger
Spiritual Source
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just a Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)