THE TEMPEST AS RADIO PLAY
One can only wonder why productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest have been sprouting up like magical vines in the jungle. Is it because the tale is about revenge as much as it is about redemption?
What I can say is this: When the sorcerer Prospero discards his magic staff and abjures his spellbinding ways, it is, of course, Shakespeare’s swan song too. His final finished work is a valedictory to the 35 or so splendid stage stories that precede it. If Prospero, perhaps to give his daughter Miranda a lesson in magnanimity, can forgive the enemies who supplanted him in Milan and consigned him to a barren island with only the savage Caliban, ethereal Ariel and devoted Miranda as his islemates, we too can forgive all above our worser selves (though it helps to have a magic staff!). The title refers to the gale of torment that ravages a soul when one is incapable of forgiveness.
Peter Van Norden, Bernard K. Addison, Peter Mendoza and Anja Racić
Many productions pass themselves off as inventive merely because it is immersive, or the setting is an island in New York, or actors are swapped with acrobats – rarely do these stylistic changes improve the psychology of the piece. Interestingly enough, the greatest version I saw took place on stage in a psychiatrist’s office at the bottom of an empty pool with only three actors playing all the roles. Talk about psychology!
Peter Van Norden and Ensemble
When it came to my attention that The Tempest was being done by Antaeus Theatre Company as a radio show, I balked at the possibility of a fresh enhancement to the Bard’s tale of sorcery, revenge, monsters, and romance. Well, director Nike Doukas pulls it off with a production that moves briskly through its 150-minute run time. The device of having ensemble-driven actors vacillate between delivering monologues and being Foley artists and musicians allows us to watch magic being created before us. This allows for our mind’s eye to imagine the flora of an island and the crashing waves of the sea. With reservations, it’s a very likable production.
John Allee, Bernard K. Addison, and JD Cullum
An issue here with the conceit is some of the acting gets affected. The thespians face forward speaking into microphones, and some have not mastered the art of reacting without looking at fellow actors (Los Angeles Theatre Works, which records radio plays live, hires actors who can do this with aplomb). Overcoming this is the great and unimpeachable Peter Van Norton — for whom you should see this show at all costs — as Prospero, JD Cullum as Caliban, Adrian LaTourelle as Alonso and Stephano and John Allee as Sebastian.
Erin Pineda, Adrian LaTourelle, and JD Cullum
Even so, having the latter two doesn’t fix the tedious exchanges between the fawning Caliban, the bibulating Sebastian, and Erin Pineda’s “fish out of water” court jester Trinculo(a). The drunken scene in which they plot to kill Prospero and take over the island is enjoyable but not very funny. And the rest is mixed: Elinor Gunn flits and sings quite well as the spellbinding Ariel, but Peter Mendoza as Ferdinand can only act like a child who has had way too much sugar (but, day-um, is he pretty). And so on.
Elinor Gunn and Peter Mendoza
All in all, Antaeus’s charmer delivers a diverting, if not enthralling, reimagining of a redemptive comedy. It’s as much music to hear as spectacle to see. This is why the show has been extended to July 30.
The Tempest features original music composed by John Ballinger, performed live by Mr. Allee on piano, Mr. Cullum on guitar, and John Harvey on percussion, and sound and Foley effects designed by the clever and ubiquitous Jeff Gardner. The creative team includes scenic designer Angela Balogh Calin, costume designer Julie Keen-Leavenworth, lighting designer Vickie Scott and properties designer Shen Heckel. The assistant stage manager is Talya Camras, and the production stage manager is Claire Fogle.
Photo by Frank Ishman
The Tempest
Antaeus Theatre Company
Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 East Broadway in Glendale
Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2; Mon at 8
ends on July 30, 2023
for tickets ($40), call 818.506.1983 or visit Antaeus
