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The immortal Bard is famous for his many amazing offerings of comedies, histories and tragedies. His masterful creation of such vibrant characters as Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, Puck, and Shylock has become a part of the basic fabric of modern theatre. What is generally unknown is the one semi- autobiographical play that he wrote to end his tumultuous career. "The Tempest," a play about Prospero, a powerful sorcerer who comes to grips with his betrayed past, rights all the wrongs, and establishes a better future with his final, greatest magical act, is considered by many scholars to be the aging Shakespeare's farewell to his creations and his art. When viewed in this context, the play is the most bittersweet yet celebratory of his works.
As Director Peter James Cirino is aware, a lot of the success of a modern-day Shakespearean production depends on reinventing the Bard to give audiences a chance to get past the dense plotting and language. Fortunately, "The Tempest" is the shortest, one of the least plotty, and has beautiful verse passages that are generally easier to understand. When Mr. Cirino then brings many elements and trappings of the modern-day, such as Italian-cut suits, Uzi's, and gender-blind casting, and the historical, such as shadow puppetry, into the production, the play becomes accessible to many. Planet Earth's production is a lush interpretation that, with actors on a level with its textual offerings, would be equal to any found in a regional or experimental Off-Broadway theatre. Unfortunately, with only one exception, this worthy effort is like a statue with a golden head and feet of clay; Despite Mr. Cirino's loving and intelligent staging, the actors portraying this sumptuous feast offer little, and sometimes nothing, to enhance the evening.
First, as is usual in her presentation of non-traditional characters, Mollie Kellog Cirino portrays Arial, Prospero's enslaved fairy and muse who is commanded to create the greatest of deceptions to earn her freedom, with many wild and unexpected choices. There is never a moment when she is onstage that she becomes merely mortal, and her voice and movement are wonderful and fitting for her ethereal character. Her performance is the glue that holds together Prospero's realms with those of the shipwrecked court that caused him injury in the first place.
From there, the performances run from non-injurious to downright unimpressive. As Prospero, Christopher Haines is not vocally or physically strong enough to embrace this powerful role. As his innocent daughter Miranda, Siobhan Mahoney plays the show at one level--never rising above the naivete imbued in her character. As Caliban, the "noble savage" and Prospero's indignant slave, Shel Bailey has the physical presence for the role, but lacks the comic timing necessary for his interaction with Joshua Feinman's Trinculo, the court jester, and Joseph Benesh's Stephano, the drunken butler. Those two actors play their roles broadly, and Mr. Benesh's take-off on a lounge lizard is generally funny, but each runs rough-shod over the others lines and bumbles around the stage in a way that grows less endearing with each new scene.
From there, the acting becomes detrimental to the show. The entire court, without exception, play their scenes without levels and at times without seeming to understand their lines. The scenes that they take part in are either rushed or flat, and sometimes serve to confuse the audience with their machinations and plots.
Visually, Larry Lopresti's set design and Mr. Cirino and David Gonzales' lighting work well in the small space, giving an ominous air to the magical island that is Prospero and Miranda's home. Christina Nelson's original music adds to the lush trappings of the script, and often finds the inspired choice.
Mr. Cirino's choices, including his casting of many of the male characters by women, make for a fresh production. He even casts Ferdinand, Miranda's love interest, with a woman; an interesting and controversial choice which puts a spin on Shakepseare's general casting of men in women's roles. It's these bits of inspiration, and Ms. Kellog Cirino's performance, that make this production worthy of seeing, even if the other members of the court are unable to rise to the level of their creative choices.
Production Details:
"The Tempest" by William Shakespeare
Planet Earth Multi-cultural Theatre, Phoenix
241-1828
September 6-October 5, 1996
$7 students & seniors-$9 general admission
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