Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by James Vesce
Dramaturgy by Andrew Hartley
Choreography by Sybil Huskey
Scenic Design: David Fillmore
Lighting Design: Bruce Auerbach
Costume Design: Robert Croghan
Sound Design: James Vesce
Video Design: Jay Morong

Anne Belk Theater, UNC Charlotte

The essential frame for this production of The Tempest is the character of Prospero as a contemporary artist, specifically an illustrator or graphic designer, who brings all of the characters in the play to life through the power of his imagination and his craft. The play is thus a kind of imaginary dialogue between the artist and his imagination, calling into question the value of his craft and the technology associated with it.  As an animator or cartoonist Prospero would bring his characters to life in only two dimensions, and within the world of each animation there might be additional frames (for example, as in a cartoon, when a character has a dream). This is the principle employed here, only the world Prospero creates through his magic, unlike a mere animation, necessarily becomes three-dimensional, or “real”, as a function of the theater itself.

The play ends as it begins – with Prospero alone, expressing the ambivalence of his dukedom, and leaving Caliban lurking over his shoulder when Prospero retires. Distinct from the other characters is Caliban, a creature which has the capacity to uniquely challenge Prospero’s control and authority, yet like Frankenstein, he is not entirely conscious of his predicament or potential. He represents the underbelly of Prospero’s artistic imagination and the dark tyranny/enslavement of technology, and more importantly, the genie of art and technology which has escaped, as it were, from the bottle (like the Jurassic Park creatures).  This production featured an elaborate video design and filmic sequences recalling Prospero's years in Milan, his exile, and the worlds of Sycorax, the island, and Ariel.