The Tempest is an incredible and engaging Shakespearean play. The production done by The American Shakespeare Company is a must watch for any student. With the play’s incredible casting choices, interesting set and costume designs, and non-typical use of sound and language, this play should be a bucket list item for any student.

Within the show there were characters that were cross-cast, actors casted as multiple characters, and a variety of experiences between the actors. With some of the characters, like Prospero and Gonzolo, the actors were of the opposite gender of the characters. I generally enjoy this as a casting choice, especially in Shakespearean plays, and this production was no exception. When Shakespeare originally wrote his play, all characters were played by men. This is because women were not yet allowed to act within the theater troupes. Depending on the play, casting a woman in the role of a man, especially of a king, can convey more power and make actions of the character more relatable to viewers. This was seen in Prospero because his goal of protecting his daughter Miranda is something more typically seen in mothers rather than fathers. 

While some characters stay true to the originally written genders, there are some that do not, and Gonzolo was one of these characters in this production. The character was called Gonzola and referred to with feminine pronouns. This casting choice, while not a typical one, still conveys power in the same way as Prospero. Gonzolo is a councillor to the king, making him an important part of the decision making for the country. As seen within the play, King Alonso keeps going back to Gonzolo for advice while in a dire situation. This makes it look as if a woman is the true ruler and backbone of a country, and this can be seen within other Shakespearean plays like The Winter’s Tale. 

Another well done casting choice was the use of double casting. Many actors played more than one character, and while it can be confusing to tell when an actor has switched characters, the actors’ abilities to switch their mindsets made the character switches very clear. Lastly, the individual actors’ experience levels within the play were incredible to see. When mixing different levels of experience you can see all the work and growth each actor has put in their craft. Within this production some actors had been working with the company for years, while for others it had only been for a few months. 

Another interesting part of the play was the use of sets and costumes. Throughout the production there were very minimal set changes, with the most notable being structures added to the stage during intermission used to display celebration. These minimal set changes force an audience member to use their imagination to further understand what is happening within the play. The lack of set changes also stays within the play’s goal of being similar to a true Shakespearean production. 

The costumes within the play were an incredible thing to see. Each actor had a base costume underneath the costume of their main character making it easier to portray when they are another character. Another interesting part of the costumes was their structure. With Prospero’s cloak there was an additional structure within the cloak to give it the ability to stand on its own at the beginning of the play, but it was not so rigid that it was unable to be laid down at the end. This cloak was able to display Prospero’s use of magic, and when he chose to give it up. 

Lastly, this production of The Tempest had an incredible use of sound and language. To portray things like lightning and thunder within the storms, there were no pre-recorded sounds used. The production used drums and thunder sheet to make these sounds. Since the company does not use microphones for the actors, their use of instruments makes sense for the production, and it was done exceptionally well. The instruments also keep with their goal of performing a play like it would have been performed by Shakespeare. 

The company also played with the use of language throughout the show. Shakespeare’s plays are written in English, but within this production they also speak in Spanish. For the character Caliban, some of his lines were spoken in Spanish to further separate his characters from the others. This is because Caliban is seen as a savage and a slave to Prospero. Prospero forces Caliban to act more like the nobles within the play, and the use of Spanish rather than the English they want him to speak acts like a rebellion against the man that has taken him as captive, and displays his unwillingness to join their society.

Overall this was an incredible play to be able to see and I recommend it to any EMU student. The casting choice made, use of sets and costumes, and the sounds and language within the play made it an incredible and entertaining production to see that any student can learn from.