Behind the Arras

On the day of a snowstorm in February I arrive to the warmth of rehearsal room. I trade one tempest for another, and in the process of so doing find myself playing the role of spectator at a magic show, quite literally. ASP’s Prospero, Alvin Epstein, conjures up a storm of remarkable proportion, in which raucous sea-songs mingle with billowing sails, and the audience is swept, along with the characters, to a wondrous isle where rare sprites and creatures roam. 

Patrick Swanson, the director of the upcoming show, in so many ways captures the sensual magic of Shakespeare’s language.  Each moment seems poised to explore the impact of taste, sight, and sound on an audience’s intellect.  Prospero becomes more than a protagonist, but the director of a stunning entertainment sequence, a play-with-a-play, which progresses under the guidance of the show’s lead magician. Set on a catwalk-like raised stage open to a hanamichi, the play moves through a sequence of special effects. The scenic designer, David Gammons, artfully conceals any technical clumsiness, and it is amazing how the design crew transcends the limitations of the performance space. 
The show boasts a circus-like appeal, supplied by the ornate set and its bizarre array of characters.  Ariel’s (Marianna Bassham) buoyancy-of-being lends her wings, and Caliban’s (Benjamin Evett) monstrosity makes for a convincing outcast.  A giant thunder instrument creaks off-stage at various intervals throughout the play, and a wind-machine sings as part of the scenery.  Swanson’s carefully designed blocking allows Epstein to play the characters like pawns.  In one scene, Miranda (Mara Sidmore) and Ferdinand (Jason Bowen) engage in a game of chess, as if to hint at the larger game Prospero plays with the characters. 

As a Stage Management Intern, I wonder at the exploratory nature of Swanson’s adaptation.  He evokes the mystery of existence, and the possibility of a larger-than-life force operating somewhere beyond our human grasp.  I am consistently struck by the fluidity of the narrative— the humor, the tragedy all melded into a simultaneously thought-provoking and delightful piece of entertainment.  My experience working on the show has opened my eyes to the complexity of the relationship between playwright and cast.  It has reemphasized for me the power of Shakespeare’s language, and the ways in which a particular theme can best enhance the psychology of his writing.  From the jesters, Trinculo (John Kuntz) and Stephano (Robert Walsh), to the mischievous Ariel, Shakespeare imbues The Tempest with a wonderful eccentricity, and with Swanson’s exploration of the play’s capacity for dimension, it becomes accessible and enjoyable on a multitude of levels.

In short, I have enjoyed every minute of my work, thus far, and continue to enjoy the time I spend watching the cast draw the magic from the text; it is a gift to observe the process, and the various ways each contributor paints the stage with his/her talents.

-Augusta Thompson