30 Days of Shakespeare, Day 21

[lareinenoire]

Day #21: An overrated play

I'm probably going to end up burning in Shakespeare Hell for this, but The Tempest really doesn't do anything for me. I can, to an extent, appreciate it -- the language and the imagery are positively gorgeous -- but I don't love it, and I doubt I ever will.

Comments

[jehane_writes]

Okay, see, I adore this play. Possibly because it is my most recent play (the Sam Mendez Bridge Project version with Stephen Dillane as Prospero). Gorgeously staged, and I found Dillane a most subtle and urbane Prospero. Of course the colonial stuff is always gonna be problematic, but Caliban is fearsomely energetic and was extremely well played, and, well, Mendez kind of sold me on Prospero/Ariel.

I hear you about the lack of urgency/threat, but that isn't the Tempest's narrative arc. To me, it's not intended as a suspenseful thriller/tragedy. I love that it's a quieter tale of endings, a magician king breaking his books and giving up his kingdom and setting free his beloved spirit and muse - as one of your commentators upstream said, it makes its lovely nods and fillips to W.S.' other works, its verses are beautifully crafted, and rounds out the end of the Bard's career. I feel the closure when I get to its magnificent end, and it's not just closure of the play itself. Or it could be 'cause I am old and get stupidly nostalgic about these things ;)

Okay, possibly one of the other more spurious reasons for my love of this play is Neil Gaiman's conceit that it was inspired by SANDMAN, but I will spare you my comixgeek ramblings :)

[fuunsaiki]

I find it very interesting that you loved the Bridge Project production, 'cos while I have enjoyed a production of The Tempest a great deal in the past (see userpic; <3 Rupert Goold and Julian Bleach!), I just couldn't get involved at all with that one. Although I could at least hear Dillane, which apparently puts me streets ahead of audience memebrs earlier in the run. XD

[jehane_writes]

I did read several reviews and hear reports about the Dillane mumbling (and his kind of disengaged performance). It may have made a difference that I was in the first row - close enough to see the sprinkling of the sand, to hear the actors breathe. I was totally sucked in. (My co-workers in the row behind me, though, couldn't hear - I initially put it down to lousy acoustics. But then, we're not a particularly sophisticated jurisdiction :) )

(Also: awesome userpic!)

[fuunsaiki]

Haha, thanks. I have another one you might like too... ;D

[jehane_writes]

:D Milady Kavita doesn't need me to squee over GNeil on her journal, but I have the best GNeil meeting story - in three parts, spanning more than a decade! Adore him ♥

[lareinenoire]

Mmm, Stephen Dillane. ;) I can't argue with that.

I do love Gaiman's take on the play (and his wonderfully creepy Midsummer), and it is entirely possible that I might change my mind if I see a really good prodution...