reactions from the performance tonight

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

Event

If anyone is interested in attending, topics include Life after Death, something we can relate to Dante. All events take place in the Student center. Free food. Everyone's welcome.

the handouts from today's class (3/10)

Here are the handouts from class, just in case you need to reference them via the web. I'm very excited to see you on Friday for The Tempest! Cheers,

s.

Tempest Performance and Playhouse Information

Correction/Revision Symbol Key

In-text Quotation and Parenthetical Citation