The play to be reflected on is the Central Washington University’s modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s last play ‘The Tempest’ (1669). Director Keith Edie’s adaptation is about a wizard, Prospero, seeking to restore himself to power after his dukedom is taken away from him by his brother, Antonio. The wizard resides on a mysterious island together with his beautiful daughter, Miranda. Prospero uses magic to cause a shipwreck that washes Antonio and Alonso, the king of Naples together with other occupants ashore onto the wizard’s mysterious island. The play retains the comedy as the original.
Like any other play, Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ (1669) is better viewed as a performance than readings in its written perform. In the written form, key details such as the physical attributes of the characters are not highlighted. The staging and lighting are also not provided for in the written play. The exclusion of these details in the written form leaves them to the reader’s interpretation which will always vary.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Central Washington University’s (2013), adaptation uses staging, lighting, costumes, and characterization to their advantage. The play utilizes two different stage sets all through. The first stage set is on the ship as the storm rages. A sail on the set and an underdeck lets the audience know that the scene is taking place on a ship. The second stage set depicts how Prospero’s workshop on the island would look like with a complete station for him to carry out his magic. This stage set is retained for the remainder of the play.
All through the play, the use of accent lights and backlighting ensures the audience pays attention to the character that is on the stage. A blackout in the first scene as the storm rages creates anticipation for what happens next. As a modern adaptation, the costume design is suits for the men and dresses for the women with a few of them being in shirts and trousers. The fairies and the monster are depicted as wearing dresses and a leaf-like costume respectively.
Throughout the written play it is difficult to establish the relationship between the characters. However, in this adaptation, the relationship between father and daughter is depicted. Prospero is an enigmatic man in this adaptation but loving while Miranda is inquisitive and playful as she interacts with her father. The two have a strong bond after years of living on the island alone.
One word cannot describe the mood and tone of this play. The characters determine the mood and tone through their behavior and language. To an extent, the mood is situational depending on the scenes. For example, Stephano and Caliban make the mood comical in the second act while the love between Miranda and Ferdinand creates a loving and blissful mood. The tone is situational too as it is serious at the beginning of the storm and comical when Stephano and Caliban conspire to kill Prospero.
As a performance, some of the acts are better understood than they would have been if read. The first act in this adaptation can be clearly understood particularly an explanation by Prospero to his daughter on how they got to the island. He gives a detailed explanation as to how his brother Antonio deposed him and had them sent away on a ship, so he could remain as the Duke of Milan.
Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ (1669) teaches the importance of love and forgiveness. Central Washington University’s performance shows us the role theaters play. It provides a platform through which individuals can showcase their talents. It also offers an opportunity for audiences to understand plays written centuries ago through modern adaptations.
References
Central Washington University. (2013). The Tempest [mp4]. Retrieved 19 January 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArQJ9RJJWVA&t=28s
Shakespeare, W. (1669). The Tempest John Driden (Ed.). Retrieved 19 January 2018, from
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/Tempest.pdf
