For the week of February 19 - 25, 2003

Tempestuous
doings upon an enchanted island

COF swims with Shakespeare

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Of all of William Shakespeare’s plays, the last comedy he penned, "The Tempest," is easily the most magical and the one that most celebrates the wonder of the natural world. It is also masque filled, both seen and unseen.

The Company of Fools launches its association with the Bard tonight with "The Tempest" at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. The show runs through March 9.

This evening’s performance is the "Pay What You Can Preview." Thereafter, tickets are $20 for reserved seating or $15 for students and seniors. It plays Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m. and are followed by Fools Unplugged: an artist/audience encounter. This series, which includes coffee, dessert and conversation with the actors, is sponsored by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

There is a special benefit performance March 1 for the Bellevue Riverfront Protection Project. Tickets are $50 and $100. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the new Wood River Land Trust building in Hailey.

Written in 1611, "The Tempest" begins with a shipwreck. The passengers of the ill-fated vessel are the king of Naples, his son, the prince, his courtiers and minions, including Antonio, a Duke. They are swept ashore onto an island, where Prospero and his daughter Miranda live.

As it happens, Antonio is Prospero’s brother. He had, with the help of King Alonso, overthrown Prospero many years previously and claimed the title of Duke of Milan for himself. They had placed Prospero and Miranda, who was 2 at the time, in a boat and abandoned them at sea.

Now, fate has brought Prospero's enemies near him. He admits to Miranda that through magic he was responsible for the storm that brought his brother and the King to the island.

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep," Prospero says as he explains his use of spirits to help him re-stage the past in order to rectify it.

And so the scene is set for a wildly diverse cast of characters—a king, a deformed slave, two clowns, a pair of love struck royals, treacherous brothers, spirits and a fairy—to converge and change the course of their lives through magic, forgiveness and love.

"We waited six years to do Shakespeare," COF Artistic Director, Denise Simone said. "We wanted to be ready. We’ve been exploring lands that we haven’t traveled. This production really pushes forms."

Indeed, the set designed by Dennis Rexroad is elaborate and fanciful. Enormous 9-foot high puppets rise to the rafters. Swings sway out from scaffolding, and there’s a large pool and lots of water.

Original music was composed by R.L. Rowsey, the musical director of COF, and a piece was written for Prospero and Ariel by Paul Bauman, who plays Alonso. "It’s crazy beautiful," Simone says. "And it’s quite a ride for us." Simone plays Prospero’s daughter Miranda.

The production will be staged four times for student matinees, Feb. 19, 25, 26 and March 5.

"Kids will love it. It’s a great opportunity to introduce them to Shakespeare. They’ll enjoy the spectacle of it."

Rusty Wilson directs John Glenn, Jennifer Perry, Andrew Alburger, Joel Vilinsky, Marilyn Tietge, Laine Satterfield, Richard Rush and Rowsey in the production.

Due to the pool, audience members in the first row are advised not to wear leather or silk.

"You haven’t seen Shakespeare till you’ve seen Elizabethan tankinis," Simone laughs.

The production is being underwritten by Redfish Technology, Hailey Realty and ypcityid.com.

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