The stage is set…almost.
Tape marking positions are on the floor, a prop mat to soften falls and no defined set. A trunk full of props is resting visibly to the side, and cast members are littered across the front of the stage as a mock audience.
Brian Jennings is the man calling the shots, and he has some interesting tactics when governing his performers. One moment he is giving whistling lessons to an actress, the next he is making two actors lie on top of each other to measure for cloth – giggling ensues. It is a common noise on the stage, as Brian does his best to provide a comedic yet wise presence to a stressful environment. He is a man of dedication who knows exactly what he wants to do, and that is to unveil his adaptation of The Tempest.
The Tempest, as some know, is a play written by William Shakespeare that garnered more popularity as it aged. The play follows the character Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, as he (or she, in this version’s case) is stuck on an island with a collection of misfits and scoundrels.
In the spirit of modernity, Brian updated the play for his audience. Jokes involving recent topics such as swine flu (which Brian himself wondered if it was “too soon”) are present in this new version, and the play itself is set a few hundred years after it was originally written and performed.
Racine Oxtoby, an actress who plays three different characters in The Tempest, told how the idea first came to Brian; “It started as a workshop while he was practicing theater in Cape Verde, so the play features a lot of Cape Verdian elements, from dance, song and language. It’s incredibly experimental and different from how people usually think of Shakespeare.” She continued, “[w]e had to watch a very long gun safety video together, since the play features firearms.”
Guns in Shakespeare? An interesting idea to say the least.
Oxtoby also makes mention of the costume design, praising Sabrina Notofranciso’s work. “Sabrina’s innovation with the costumes is amazing – my chest plate is actually made out of a placemat.” It appears that Brian is not the only one expressing a creative mind in this production.
Madeleine Baldwin, as the drunken Stephano, talked at length about how the group came together to overcome rehearsal-phase obstacles, saying “We did a lot of physical work early on in the rehearsals to establish trust and a group identity. It was interesting incorporating voice, movement, sound and emotion into these exercises and eventually we evolved from being onstage as a group of individuals to working as a unit. Getting to where we are now involved a lot of abstract exercises that are proving very useful when onstage now, I never could have predicted it before. It’s almost spiritual.”
All thanks to Brian’s expert directing.
“Brian is a fantastic director,” Baldwin said. “He incorporates voice, body and soul into every stage picture. He views a play as encompassing more than walking where you’re supposed to and saying your lines, it’s the whole experience that matters. I really loved working with him, he’s definitely helped me grow as an actor.”
Oxtoby agreed, “[o]ur director is awesome. The play is completely his brainchild.”
With this much hard work behind it, you can expect The Tempest to be a unique and mystifying performance. It opens this upcoming weekend Thursday to Sunday (Thurs. and Fri. at 8 PM, Sat. at 2 PM and 8 PM, and Sun. at 2 PM) and will be performed in the Tansil Theater.
