Shakespeare on the Cape draws youth into the Bard’s storm
by Reva Blau
BANNER CORRESPONDENT
In theater on the Cape it is a brave new world, as the Bard writes in “The Tempest,” with much to offer everyone. And on the Cape kids are not left out.
At the Payomet Tent, Shakespeare on the Cape puts on an airy, musical and accessible adaptation just for kids of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” For this one-hour production, even babies can sit through it on their parents’ laps. Payomet is offering classes and workshops for children as well.
With planks and fabric, the Tempest’s bare set is perfect under the tent at Payomet. As Prospero’s storm raged onstage Wednesday night, nature cooperated and blew winds off the off-stage ocean, ruffling the sides of the tent dramatically. Yet the boisterous island castaways sounded loud and strong above the tempest.
Director Eric Powell Holm staged the shipwreck beautifully, enhanced with sound effects and music provided by the entire cast and ending in the classic understatement, “We split! We split!”
Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, played in drag by raven-haired Whitney Hudson, and his fair daughter Miranda (Ariel Dumas) have been marooned on an deserted island. Twelve years earlier, brother Antonio, played also by a woman, Amanda Fuller, ousted the Duke from the throne. Helping him also was Alonso, the King of Naples, played by director Eric Powell Holm.
In Italy, Prospero’s bookishness made him vulnerable to political insurrection. Yet on the lonely island, he is able to learn magic from philosophy. He conjures his magical powers to tame Ariel (Ben Griessmeyer), once enslaved by a witch, and Caliban (Elliot Eustis), his “savage and deformed slave.” The plot involves how Prospero channels magical powers to capture and eventually forgive his brother to reclaim his throne, while also wedding his daughter to an Italian heir, the King’s son Ferdinand (Jake Ford). To hatch this plot, Ariel must confuse the sailors and have them each believe that he is the sole survivor.
The ensemble is wonderful. Dance and song form an important element as the story unfolds. Some of the famous speeches, like “Full fathom five thy father lies/ Of his bones are coral made;/ Those are pearls that were his eyes” are sung by the whole company. Ben Griessmeyer, with ethereal grace, and sparkly mischief, channels the sprite perfectly in leading the dance and song. Eustis gives a great performance as the cross-eyed and haggard monster.
In the kids’ production, the company made the decision to narrate the story so as to explain the parts that were deleted for the sake of brevity and children’s attention spans. The device they used was a narrator played by Tessa K. Bry (who also plays Trinculo, one of the drunken characters in a third subplot). Bry is funny, dexterous and adept at changing from role to role.
However, while the narrator’s role is cleverly written, as an adult viewer I thought the narrative voice, a modern-day rhyme in Dr. Seuss style, was unnecessary. In other productions, it is Prospero who holds a book, which is one way to underline the action without needing an artifice.
But the children in the audience loved the performance and particularly the moments of truth and reckoning. Certainly the story of a magician who rights the wrongs of the bad guys is one that will capture youthful imagination, without too much further ado.
KiddieShakes: Tempest is performed every Wednesday at 5 p.m., July 9 to Sept. 3, at Payomet Performing Arts Center, Highlands Center at Cape Cod National Seashore, Old Dewline Road, North Truro. Tickets are $9. Reservations: 508-487-5400 or www.payomet.org.
1 Comment
July 31, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I have told the story of The Tempest to my kids for as long as they can remember. They know it as “The one about the girl on the island.” I am anxious for my weekend trip to Mashpee when they will see their first performance!
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