The Tempest

The Tempest
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Mary Rippon Theater
Boulder, CO 
June 6 - August 10, 2014

When I attended the University of Colorado, I went to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Among the last plays I saw was The Tempest. That was many years ago, so I was interested to see how they would perform this classic play now.

When I arrived it was clear this would be a very different version. The set looked like a shipwreck and when the sun went down the lighting was magical.

As with all Shakespeare plays, we met a multitude of characters with various purpose. We meet Prospero, the tragic leading man and his daughter Miranda, the lovesick teenager. Stephano and Triniculo provide the comic relief. And we have a healthy dose of the supernatural with Ariel, the sprite and the monster, Caliban.

Many story lines intertwine on this magical island, but in the end all is well. (This is a comedy, after all.) The acting is stellar and the lighting superb at changing the stoic set into many locations. The Cirque De Soleil acrobatics of Ariel aren't seamless, but it's fun to watch. The special effects are dynamic, if not spectacular. The director has made the most of this space and the audience is always involved.

It's a magical event under the stars.