This is a blatant copy and paste of an assignment I did for my acting class, which has also been copied and pasted to 4:12.
The Tempest was great. The effects were striking, the acting was fantastic, serious parts were serious, funny parts were funny, and everything ran smoothly and added up to create a great performance. And the set was beautiful, functional, and fitting for the play. One or two little pieces of clear green fabric created an entirely new setting. Everything was so intricate and well made, and created stunning levels for the actors to physically be on. The lights were good, too, especially the lightning. The sound was the only thing I didn’t love. In some scenes, the drumming drowned out the voices (and I was only in the second row!) so I think a better, or at least a quieter, approach might have been taken. But I liked the effect of the drumming, rain sticks, flutes, and singing. As far as the adaptation, I think it was wonderful, but personally, I’m a huge fan of the magic.
I think all the performers were successful. I especially liked the scenes with Caliban, Stefano, and Trinculo. They all knew exactly what they were fighting for (to kill Prospero, to drunkenly become Queen of the island, to get through this alive) and stuck to those goals; they were not only believable, but they made strong choices, like quivering in fear under a broken umbrella, and not being afraid to find themselves in actions or positions that, outside the theatre, might seem very odd. The three connected very well, too, which is what drew me to them the most. They were always with each other and never seemed to break focus, always listening and reacting, almost like they were hearing and saying the words for the first time.
Photo from production ©ConnColl 2009
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