Seeking retribution for being overthrown and exiled to a magical island with his daughter Miranda, Prospero magically causes a storm – a tempest – to wreck the ship of those responsible for his situation and bring them to the island for vengeance. Amongst the new arrivals to the island, various conspiracies are hatched and romance also ensues.
The Tempest premieres at Neely Auditorium at Vanderbilt on Nov. 8. The characters in the play – from the lovers Ferdinand and Miranda, to battling brothers Prospero and Alonso, to the enslaved sprite Ariel and half-witch Caliban – long for freedom and unanimously struggle for release from the oppression of internal and external pain, subservience and oppression.
“Like America in Iraq, all of the characters grapple to find an exit strategy. And, because the play is a comedy, forgiveness and humbling grace ultimately preside to benefit the greater good,” says Terryl Hallquist, director of the production and associate professor of theatre. “Present-day helicopter parents, treacherous siblings, tyrant leaders and drunken monsters all will find their Jacobean counterparts in Vanderbilt Theatre’s imaginative rendition of this beloved classic.”
The play will be performed at 8 p.m. Nov. 8, 9, 10, 14 and 15 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 11. Admission is $8 for the general public, $5 for graduate and professional students, and free for undergraduates with Vanderbilt identification. Tickets go on sale Nov. 5 at the Neely Auditorium box office. Tickets may be reserved by calling (615) 322-2404.
Media Contact: Missy Pankake, (615) 322-NEWS
missy.pankake@vanderbilt.edu