I'd really like to entertain some general reactions from those of us who went to see The Tempest @ BAM this evening. Let's make this as informal as possible. Just conversation.
Here are some of my personal reactions to this 399 year-old drama:
-- as this was my first viewing of The Tempest on any stage, I was quite lost at times by the lines (the words) being spoken; this is because of Shakespearean language, with all its syntactic crooks and twists, antiquated references, and thee and thous and shall-ts... and also because of the physical dimensions of the venue; i had to strain much to listen carefully and pay attention in order to get the sense of the line
-- conversely, I did like that the actors' own voices were their only source of projection
-- it was very interesting to see, listen, and witness this play in a venue--once abandoned now thankfully reclaimed--that has sought to revitalize those great works by Shakespeare; although the near-toppling angle and height of seating made me a bit dizzy at times
-- despite these elements to weather, I was able to gain a good sense of the meaning of the plot and action; as Shakespeare aptly wrote his plays for a stage and an audience inhabiting much simpler settings
-- Ariel's wings were awesome
-- let's assume that as audience members we expect for there to be clear delineations between scenes and acts, we expect an intermission; here we were given little as far as scene change and the like... i felt that this (in combination with the seating) created an uneasiness within me, a tempest if you will, that was at once unsettling and powerfully captivating
-- the theme of one's ability to change in their character (e.g., Prospero's ability to forgive his brother and give up his "art") presented itself quite "loudly" for me
-- I was curious as to the role that clothing played; or rather, the effect of changing one's clothing and inhabiting some new threads
-- the theme of exile via political overthrow was the driving force of the plot, and near-death occurred many times; yet, as a departure from Shakespeare's earlier works there is in fact no death -- if there is anything there is renewal and rebirth via the marriage of Ferdinand and Miranda, as well as the freedom of Ariel
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- Surprised Ariel is a dude, but like his performance, appears calmer and more grandeur than his control freak master Prospero.
ReplyDeleteIt was overall a great performance but some of the parts frightened me like when the skull came out from the chest and the slave from underneath the circle. The actor was actually smoking A REAL cigarette and the flames in the background were real as well, which made the whole place smell. The play was a little long but the music that accompanied the play was suitable for the theme.
ReplyDeleteRahela's reaction to the "reality" that was exhibited on the stage is important! Aside from breaking a building smoking code (I am kidding here), there were many other elements of the production which we as viewers did NOT expect. For example, when Caliban emerged from within the sand pit. Or when the "drunken monarchy" did the same. Even further, the best and most profound example was the skulled-figure who emerged from within the chest of "regal" cloth.
ReplyDeleteHow can we interpret these scenes?
And indeed we must consider this, as Zhen Yu pointed out: Prospero IS a CONTROL FREAK! (Dammned dethroned duke, trying to reclaim his political and worldly clout!)
ReplyDeleteYet, the larger question remains... from whence does his power TRULY reside and originate? Whom does he rely upon to create his "so potent art" (V.50).
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ReplyDeleteI felt bad for one actor who was in the ship wreck in the very beginning and then didn’t have another speaking role until the end because he definitely had wet socks from sitting on that chair in the water the whole time! The play was funny but I didn’t always know why I was laughing. The costume of that little man drinking the wine was hysterical, he looked like he belonged in The Great Gatsby rather than a Shakespearean play but it was the unexpected elements that made me enjoy the play so much. The video montage at the wedding was another thing that I definitely didn’t anticipate. They did a good job keeping it true to Shakespeare’s language (or at least I think I haven’t read the Tempest yet) while throwing in a bunch of twists to keep the rest of us who were struggling to understand at parts entertained.
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ReplyDeleteThe overall performance was good and was a little hard to understand. I enjoyed the fact that it was funny especially the drunk dude that was short and stocky. I couldn’t believe the guy that was performing in the play was smoking a real cigarette; it was a little surprising. However, the language was quite hard to understand but I enjoyed the tone of the actors in the play as well as the accents. I’ve also enjoyed the music and the fire that appeared openly in the background, I thought that was cool. I’ve never been to a Shakespeare play, but first time for everything; the play was a bit long but overall I’ve enjoyed the play.
ReplyDeleteI had read something that men play womens roles in shakespearian plays, for example the man in the womans dress questioned me a bit.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great performance and the special effects were awesome. The actors were great even though some of the conversations I did not understand.It also had a lot of humor in it which I enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the play was the old man, he was so calm whenever he spoke and at parts i felt bad for the actor because he looked like he was having a hard time laying on the floor and getting back up. At one time the priest had to go and help him up. Also, the play was so random at parts I was totally lost. The country dance part was strange. Also, on a fashion sense Ariel dress was really hot. The play on a whole was good, I just wish I knew what was going on.
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