Gapers Block has ceased publication.

Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
 Thank you for your readership and contributions. 

TODAY

Tuesday, March 19

Gapers Block
Search

Gapers Block on Facebook Gapers Block on Flickr Gapers Block on Twitter The Gapers Block Tumblr


A/C
« Interview with Jim Lasko of Redmoon on the Great Chicago Fire Festival An Interview with Marc Fischer of Public Collectors: Hardcore Architecture »

Theater Tue Sep 22 2015

The Tempest, Reimagined by Chicago Shakespeare, has all its Old Magic, and Even More

Chicago Shakespeare's bewitching new production of William Shakespeare's The Tempest was adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and Teller (the silent member of the Penn & Teller duo). The play has all of its poetry and more music and magic than traditional productions of this late Shakespearean tale of revenge.

Prospero's island has been transformed into a travelling tent show laden with trickery and magic. The spirit Ariel (Nate Dendy) seems to appear out of nowhere again and again and is capable of amazing sleight of hand. Prospero, played with wicked charm by Larry Yando in his 24th CST production, is the wizard and rightful Duke of Milan.

This version of The Tempest is marked by the live band Rough Magic on a loft stage and bluesy music composed by the great Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan. The song that sounded particularly Waits-like was "Clap Hands," which opens act two, with the band performing behind a scrim.

The Tempest tells the story of Prospero and his daughter Miranda (Eva Louise Balistrieri) who were cast out to sea after Prospero was overthrown from his dukedom. It happened that Gonzala (played by Barbara Robertson), Prospero's trusted counselor, provided them with provisions and Prospero's books of magic, so they did not die at sea. (Gonzala is usually Gonzalo so this is an au courant interpretation.) Prospero and Miranda reached safety on a lonely enchanted island and here they have lived for 12 years. Prospero rules over his slave Caliban (see below) and Ariel.

Now Prospero decides it's time for revenge and conjures up a terrible storm at sea to catch the men who were responsible for his fate 12 years ago: King Alonso of Naples (John Lister) and Prospero's brother Antonio (Lawrence Grimm), who usurped his title. Also on board are Sebastian (Michael Aaron Lindner), Alonso's evil brother, and Ferdinand (Luigi Sottile), son of Antonio. Ferdinand manages to reach the island first, meets Miranda and of course, they fall in love.

By play's end, Prospero, with the skilful help of Ariel, settles the score but finds a reserve of forgiveness to sweeten his revenge.

Yando and Dendy are outstanding as the two leading magicians and they're supported by powerful performances by the whole cast. The most inventive casting of The Tempest is the performance by two actors (Zach Eisenstat and Manelich Minniefee) who, perpetually entwined, portray Caliban as the creature Shakespeare described as "the thing most brutish" and "not honored with human shape." The modern dance collective Pilobolus created the choreography for the production, including the Caliban acrobatics.

Daniel Conway's scene design gets even more magic from Thom Weaver's lighting design and Paloma Young's costumes plus Melissa Veal's very important wig and makeup design. Ethan Deppe and Liz Filios are music directors (and members of Rough Magic) and Ray Nardelli is responsible for sound design.

The production is notable for its use of magic, both Ariel's sleight of hand and visual illusions throughout the show. Johnny Thompson gets credit as magic designer and Thom Rubino for magic engineering. And of course, Teller for magical strategy. In one scene, Prospero levitates the sleeping Miranda and he and Ariel demonstrate that no wires or devices are holding her body in the air. In another, Prospero imprisons Ariel in a cabinet in which the sprite's head seems to turn 360 degrees around on his body while his feet remain in the same position.

Posner, an award-winning playwright known for his scripts for My Name Is Asher Lev. The Chosen and Stupid Fucking Bird, graduated from Northwestern University. In addition to Teller's long career performing with Penn Jillette, his writing has been published in The Atlantic, the New Yorker, Esquire and Smithsonian and in several books. He co-wrote and directed Play Dead (off-Broadway) and directed the 2013 feature film, Tim's Vermeer.

The Tempest
continues at Chicago Shakespeare on Navy Pier through Nov. 8 with performances at varying times Tuesday through Sunday. Tickets are $48-88 with $20 tickets available for buyers under 35. Buy them online or by calling 312-595-5600.

 
GB store
GB store

Architecture Tue Nov 03 2015

Paul Goldberger Describes the "Pragmatism and Poetry" of Frank Gehry's Architecture in His New Book

By Nancy Bishop

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger talks about Frank Gehry's life and work in a new book.
Read this feature »

Steve at the Movies Fri Jan 01 2016

Best Feature Films & Documentaries of 2015

By Steve Prokopy

Read this column »

Blogroll

ACRE
An Angry White Guy
Antena
AREA Chicago
ArchitectureChicago Plus
Arts Engagement Exchange
The Art Letter
Art or Idiocy?
Art Slant Chicago
Art Talk Chicago
Bad at Sports
Bite and Smile
Brian Dickie of COT
Bridgeport International
Carrie Secrist Gallery
Chainsaw Calligraphy
Chicago Art Blog
Chicago Art Department
Chicago Art Examiner
Chicago Art Journal
Chicago Artists Resource
Chicago Art Map
Chicago Art Review
Chicago Classical Music
Chicago Comedy Examiner
Chicago Cultural Center
Chicago Daily Views
Chicago Film Examiner
Chicago Film Archives
Chicago Gallery News
Chicago Uncommon
Collaboraction
Contemporary Art Space
Co-op Image Group
Co-Prosperity Sphere
Chicago Urban Art Society
Creative Control
Defibrillator
Devening Projects
Digressions
DIY Film
ebersmoore
The Exhibition Agency
The Flatiron Project
F newsmagazine
The Gallery Crawl...
Galerie F
The Gaudy God
Happy Dog Gallery
HollywoodChicago
Homeroom Chicago
I, Homunculus
Hyde Park Artcenter Blog
InCUBATE
Joyce Owens: Artist on Art
J-Pointe
Julius Caesar
Kasia Kay Gallery
Kavi Gupta Gallery
Rob Kozlowski
Lookingglass Theatre Blog
Lumpen Blog
Marquee
Mess Hall
N'DIGO
Neoteric Art
NewcityArt
NewcityFilm
NewcityStage
Not If But When
Noun and Verb
On Film
On the Make
Onstage
Peanut Gallery
Peregrine Program
Performink
The Poor Choices Show
Pop Up Art Loop
The Post Family
The Recycled Film
Reversible Eye
Rhona Hoffman Gallery
Roots & Culture Gallery
SAIC Blog
The Seen
Sharkforum
Sisterman Vintage
Site of Big Shoulders
Sixty Inches From Center
Soleil's To-Do's
Sometimes Store
Steppenwolf.blog
Stop Go Stop
Storefront Rebellion
TOC Blog
Theater for the Future
Theatre in Chicago
The Franklin
The Mission
The Theater Loop
Thomas Robertello Gallery
threewalls
Time Tells Tony Wight Gallery
Uncommon Photographers
The Unscene Chicago
The Visualist
Vocalo
Western Exhibitions
What's Going On?
What to Wear During an Orange Alert?
You, Me, Them, Everybody
Zg Gallery

GB store

 

Events


A/C on Flickr

Join the A/C Flickr Pool.



About A/C

A/C is the arts and culture section of Gapers Block, covering the many forms of expression on display in Chicago. More...
Please see our submission guidelines.

Editor: Nancy Bishop, nancy@gapersblock.com
A/C staff inbox: ac@gapersblock.com

Archives

 

A/C Flickr Pool
 Subscribe in a reader.

GB store

GB Store

GB Buttons $1.50

GB T-Shirt $12

I ✶ Chi T-Shirts $15