Geraint Wyn Davies as Prospero in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of “The Tempest.” Photo by Scott Suchman.By DCist contributor Landon Randolph
The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest leaves a high-water mark. A beautifully realized production directed by Ethan McSweeney, the show is a powerful reminder of the reasons to go to the theater in the first place.
For those not familiar with Shakepeare’s classic farewell to the stage, the play begins with Alonso (C. David Johnson), the King of Naples, and Antonio (Gregory Linington), the Duke of Milan, being shipwrecked during a magical storm caused by Prospero (Geraint Wyn Davies) and his ethereal spirit servant, Ariel. Prospero himself was marooned on the island with his daughter Miranda when he was deposed by his brother Antonio — the same Antonio Prospero has now trapped on the island with him.
Wyn Davies’ Prospero feels gentler than most, but still one who exudes paternal authority. That’s not to say he doesn’t deliver the punch when he’s angry — he does — it’s just filtered through a patronizing tone of “father knows best.” It’s the more tender moments when he really shines. His connection with his daughter is touchingly warm, and a complex relationship with Ariel is given new dimensions. In his reflective moments he is vulnerable; his ever-present power gives way to a creeping awareness of advancing age. It’s a precise, fully-realized picture, a penetrating depiction of an iconic figure.
The power of Prospero’s magic comes across in a series of inspired moments. There are very few productions that are staged as effectively as this, though the play is marked by a relatively simple design. There’s nothing here that other theatrical productions haven’t tried. But McSweeney times his punches strategically, pulling them off with a polished aplomb, and you are delighted by Prospero’s fantastic spells, swept up in the maelstrom he creates until he releases you.
The rest of the cast is no less impressive in their roles. Clifton Duncan gives Prospero’s slave Caliban a tragic humanity that serves as a constant rebuke to his master’s arrogant paternalism. Sofia Jean Gomez somehow manages to combine a puppyish enthusiasm and soulful grace in a subtle, enchanting performance as Ariel. She has a Spock-like detachment concurrent with a burning hunger for human contact; she brims with a tragic whimsy. Rachel Mewbron’s bright curiosity and playful intelligence as Miranda redeem a part that often seems like a two-dimensional male fantasy. Unfortunately, Antonio’s son Ferdinand (Avery Glymph) doesn’t manage to be as interesting; he’s mostly stuck spouting enthusiastic raptures about Miranda while being swept along by the plot.
The comic duo of Liam Craig and Dave Quay as the pair of drunken courtiers, Trinculo and Stephano, however, quickly picks up the show’s pulse. Liam Craig in particular gives life to tiny moments and imbues them with a deadpan wink as he attempts to steal every scene he’s in. Ted van Griethuysen’s Gonzalo, an advisor to the king, is a cheery grandfather whose humane demeanor is in marked contrast to the machiavellian Antonio, who never quite seems evil so much as smarter and more ambitious than anyone else in the room. He brings a pale-eyed calculation to the role, every inch the striving nobleman. In all, it’s a cast that refuses to fade into the background, bringing a bright definition to the supporting characters.
It’s hard to imagine a better production of The Tempest than this. It is full of a warmth and nuance that mark a truly excellent production. It is by turns heartwarming, funny, and poignant; it never feels false. It gives life to the text with a grace that belies its complexity. In short, it’s superb. Go see it. I’m going again.
The Tempest plays now until January 11 at Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW. Tickets $20 to $110.
