In the dark backward and abysm of time

[reveparisien]

I wanted to thank you for all the birthday wishes ! Reading a "happy birthday" always makes my day better since I'm not a big fan of my own birthdays. We had planned a girls day out with my Mom and sisters which was really fun and made me forget it was my birthday.

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2nd comment or how could my answer get any longer

[reveparisien]

I forgot to answer about the play !!
The costumes : that was interesting. Since you know it takes place on an island, it wasn't really that obvious. Miranda was wearing a very simple white dress sort of draped around her. Not very traditional for the time. All the men expect for Prospero were wearing military uniforms I would say. Prospero was wearing something a bit more original. He had a cape that he would put on when using his magic. Also ! I was about to forget. Ariel was wearing a black suit with a white shirt. So really, my answer should be : it was modern dress. (Also : I thought Ariel was a woman ! I felt so stupid when I understood. According to Wikipedia it can be considered ambiguous, though !).

There were detailed sets. How can I put this... On the ground there was sand and then water in the background. Chairs had been put there in the water (it was only a few centimeters of water really) so that the "lost" characters from the ship (Alonso, Sebastian, etc) could sit still (like statues almost) when Miranda, Prospero and then Ferdinand were playing "on the sand". It was all very dark so that the light would make everything very bright and beautiful. The very background was brown and looked like the hull of a ship with only one tiny door (through which Ariel would go and arrive). Oh I'm sorry Emily that's impossible to explain... I guess that's what made it so good ? I can't put words on things.

I found a picture of the (handsome) cast : http://www.boneaubryanbrown.com/TheBridgeProject.htm. The actor playing Ariel is the second one on the right hand. I think he's very handsome. I wish I had been closer to see him better ! Everyone was really great.

The very same cast also played a few representations of As you like it. Now I so wished I could have seen that one too !

You said you were studying the play at the moment. Is it interesting ?

Re: 2nd comment or how could my answer get any longer

[sullypants]

That's actually a very good description of the set & costumes, I feel like I can kind of visualize it! Also, Stephen Dillane was Prospero, no way?! I've only ever seen him in John Adams, where he played Thomas Jefferson, he was excellent in that role; was he a good Prospero, do you think?

I saw a student production of The Tempest in Oxford last year; the set was just a large sheet of white canvas, Ariel was played simultaneously be five people, who pushed the sailors' heads into buckets of water in the first scene during the storm, strobe lights were used to indicate lightning, and in the end Miranda wasn't very happy to be stuck with Ferdinand. It's was a very interesting take on the whole thing, really. In reading it now, I'm noticing all these small details, it's very intriguing.