Except for many of its Shakespearian speeches, The Tempest being blown to 15000 students throughout Florida by Asolo/FSU’s Conservatory seniors has been adapted to become a three-part comedy. It’s enhanced by rousing music and beautifully choreographed dancing as well as some creepy crawling. The likeness- difference between it and Shakespeare’s play should give teachers a great way to approach teaching his. The instigator of the major plot is Prospera, who has escaped her brother Antonio’s takeover of their kingdom. She’s developed magical powers and uses them to summon a storm that wrecks the boat of her enemies and throws them onto her island. She then proceeds to get her revenge. DeAnna Wright’s Prospera shows off her perfect diction in pronouncing Shakespeare’s words and their and her power. Prospera’s daughter Miranda, whom she loves and has protected, falls in love with the shipwrecked Ferdinand. Jenny Vallancourt and Scott Shomaker make such a sweet romantic couple that it seems certain love will continue long after their first meeting of wonder at each other. Ariel (Olivia Ozol) dances with inspiration at the sight of them and has fun with other newcomers, always hoping she will be freed by Prospera from the island soon. Alriel’s beautiful, figure-hugging costume and head piece in the blue and green colors of the sea is stunning among Loren Shaw’s fine designs. Getting free (especially comically) is a third theme, involving not only the spirited good sprite Ariel but also the bad, dark, beastly Caliban (a groveling, clawing, crawling Sara Linares). Caliban joins in the drunken antics of sailors Stephano (Matthew Kresch, as a dim sot) and Trinculo (Andrew Hardaway, mischievous). They act a lot like the Three Stooges, except that Caliban earnestly desires to escape Prospera but not necessarily this island, which she’d like to rule in her own awful way. (Sara Linares makes a scary Caliban, even in some of her humorous drunken moments.) Too bad she gets away. Director Celine Rosenthal directs her material sensibly. She respects Shakespeare’s words and many of the characterizations, but she clearly is at the helm of an adaptation. She has also chosen excellent support from music makers as well as choreographer Leymis Bolanos Wilmott. Marlene Marotte Whitney’s set is not just serviceable, with a rope on the floor designating a stage for action and three sails with a sheet that often gets strung across the back of the activity zone to do double duty in changes of scene and use as a hiding place. Of course, her setting benefits from a well lit back screen--that often changes color--and variations of downstage lighting. Matthew Parker’s lights, together with the sound and whole technical work, are not only good but cleverly adaptable to middle and high school and community stages during touring.
