Wetumpka Depot: "Southern Fried Funeral"

Another River Region sold-out run just closed at the Wetumpka Depot. Southern Fried Funeral, a genuinely funny if somewhat familiar and derivative comedy, strongly directed by Kim Mason, received a lot of belly-laughs in recognition of the assorted characters' foibles and he play's clever dialogue.

Ms. Mason's 11-member ensemble of Depot veterans and some in their acting debuts, exhibited confidence and clear storytelling for the 2-hour performance. Performed on Kristy Meanor's finely detailed kitchen and dining room set, Southern Fried Funeral takes audiences immediately into familiar territory.

Family and friends of Dewey's [a good man who died in the middle of telling a joke to the local Rotarians], meet at the home of his widow Dorothy [Lynne Taunton] to grieve and sympathize and plan his funeral. But Dorothy has a lot to contend with besides the funeral: her feuding adult daughters -- black sheep Harlene [Catherine Barlow] and stereotypical Southern belle Sammy Jo [Janet Robinson] harbor childhood resentments; Sammy Jo also has some marital issues with her loving and misunderstood husband Beecham [Brad Sinclair]; her "simple" son Dewey, Jr. [Morgan Baker] seems oblivious to his father's death; and her smarmy brother-in-law Uncle Dub [Lloyd Strickland] tries to wrest away her land and home on the day of the funeral.

Add a bevy of neighbors -- toupee wearing Benny Charles [Alan Patrick], slightly dim Fairy June [Judy Savage in an understated pitch-perfect performance], steadfast friend Martha Ann [Susan Montgomery] and her nemesis, the over-zealous Ozetta [Hazel Jones] a pretentious busybody and (as she continually reminds everyone) the Chairwoman of the church's "Sunshine Committee" that plans all funerals according to strict social norms.

And then there's Atticus [Will Webster] a one-time lover of Harlene's and a local lawyer whose skills (shades of Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird) will be brought into play to save Dorothy's home and land from the dastardly Uncle Dub.

The director's hand is very clear in this production: Ms. Mason guides her actors to give credible performances without going over the top into broad caricatures. And though there are only a few surprises -- a deftly staged food fight, for example -- the sibling rivalries and humorous takes on familiar "Southern" archetypes, make for a comfortable audience reception.

Beneath the froth of this confection lie some perceptive notions about how some people grieve (anger, denial, etc.), and while Dorothy's outburst when she can no longer take all the mayhem around her is reminiscent of M'Lynn's behavior in Steel Magnolias, it captures the very real limits to which anyone can be subjected under these circumstances.

WOBT: "Hairspray"

Director Mary Katherine Moore and her expert team of designers, choreographers, musicians, and actors, transform Prattville's tiny Way Off Broadway Theatre into 1962 Baltimore for a joyous production of the 2002 musical Hairspray that's been getting spontaneous standing ovations at every performance.

Based on John Waters' 1988 film, this multiple Tony, Drama Desk, and Olivier Award-winning musical was made into a popular 2007 film, a TV special in 2016, and has had an enviable international production record. -- With a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, the pedigree speaks for itself; and the WOBT company are certainly up to the task.

Two-and-a-half-hours fly by, as the 30+ member ensemble act, sing, and dance their collective ways into our hearts, telling the story of "pleasantly plump" teenager Tracy Turnblad [Merelee Robinson] as she attempts to secure a role as one of the "nicest kids in town" on the Corny Collins [Tate G. Pollock] afternoon television dance show, and on the way discovers love for teen idol Link Larkin [Michael Armstrong], and leads the way to racially integrating the Corny Collins Show.

Tracy gets sent to detention where she meets several African-American students, among them Seaweed Stubbs [Matthew Mitchell], who teaches her some new dance steps. When she realizes that "Negro Day" on the Collins show is only once a month, she doesn't understand why Blacks and Whites aren't allowed to dance together, and determines to do something about it. And when her friend Penny [Lucie Chesser] falls for Seaweed, things get even more complicated, especially since Penny's bigoted mother Prudy [Elizabeth Bowles] would never approve.

But Tracy's parents are there to support her. Wilbur [Michael Buchanan], the goofy owner of a joke shop, encourages his daughter to follow her dreams; and Edna [Jon Darby], a self-consciously plus-sized woman who runs a laundry business at her home which she hasn't stepped out of in years, delights in Tracy's new-found fame.

There are other obstacles in Tracy's way -- from the cool kids' mocking her weight, to the resistance against integrating the TV show -- but love and inclusion will win the day.

Amber Von Tussle [Kiersten Mattox], a local beauty used to winning the "Miss Hairspray" contest and Link's long time girlfriend, does her best to obstruct Tracy's chances; and her mother Velma [Olivia Crutchfield], a former beauty contest winner and producer of the Corny Collins Show, conspires against Tracy and any attempt to integrate the show.

With the assistance of Motormouth Maybelle [Makayla Matthews], the "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful" hostess of "Negro Day", the kids march on the Corny Collins Show, get thrown into jail, and ultimately rock the house with a "now and forever" integrated show.

There is a certain amount of nostalgia for 1960s music, and the score delivers the spirit of the era without sentimentality; the songs have familiar sounds and lyrics, but manage to be current as well. "Good Morning Baltimore" opens the show with a feel-good sensibility that hardly goes away, "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now" has the three girls and their mothers spatting about growing up, and "Welcome to the Sixties" is a reminder that social and societal change is on its way. And "I Can Hear the Bells" and "It Takes Two" are universal paeans to young love.

"Run and Tell That", "Big, Blonde, and Beautiful", and the powerful anthem "I Know Where I've Been" drive home the serious messages of racial inclusion and social acceptance that were 1960s' imperatives that resonate as strongly today as our world is confronted by obstruction, name-calling, and fear-mongering from every quarter.

Layne Holley's masterful use of periaktoi in her stage design makes the simple set pieces serve numerous purposes; costumes by Carol Heier, Cheryl Jones, Faye Parker, Judy Savage, and Danny Davidson replicate the 60s and are character driven in their choices; Daren Eastwold's and Ms. Moore's choreography is energetic, capturing the spirit of the period and challenging the ensemble. Marilyn Swears' musical direction gives attention to the strong solo voices as well as the dynamic chorus.

The ensemble is terrific as they depict a variety of characters [done in a twinkling with the able assistance of off-stage dressers], as they drive the plot forward and support the featured actors -- specially noteworthy is the African-American girl trio who command the stage on every appearance. -- Two cameo roles are played with verve by Scott Page as Mr. Pinky, the owner of a line of clothes for plus-sized women who "dresses" Tracy when she gets some acclaim; and Leslie Bailey as the mean-spirited Prison Matron who gets her kicks from abusing inmates. Both are enjoyable.

Ms. Moore is fortunate to have gathered an ideal cast in the major roles: Ms. Chesser and Mr. Mitchell seem so well paired and comfortable with each other, and her shy and nerdy Penny is a perfect foil to his self-assurance as Seaweed. -- As the nasty Von Tussles, it is clear how parents often influence the worst behavior in their offspring; Ms. Crutchfield's domineering Velma is replicated in Ms. Mattox's impersonation of the spoiled Amber. -- Mr. Pollock imbues Corny Collins with all the slick show-biz elan he can muster; Corny is the consummate TV host with one eye on the camera and one eye on his appearance, and a smile he turns on on cue. Good work.

Ms. Matthews' depiction of Motormouth Maybelle is passionate and compassionate; she shows a clear understanding of the racial situation and rises above the stereotypical. A powerful performance.

Almost a match made in heaven, Mr. Darby's Edna and Mr. Buchanan's Wilbur register a comfort that is admirable; their heartfelt support of Tracy is sincere, and their love-duet -- "Timeless to Me" -- is the sweetest declaration of love and respect between two unremarkable individuals that nonetheless leave a lasting impression on the audience. Mr. Darby in drag is so committed to the role that one thinks of him only as Edna.

Mr. Armstrong's Link -- a heartthrob if ever there was one -- has the youthful good looks the role requires; and his ability to ingratiate himself through audience "asides" and swoon-inducing swaggers makes it possible for Tracy to fall for him hook-line-and-sinker. Add to this a pleasant singing voice, able stage presence, and a confident connection to Ms. Robinson's Tracy, and you have a solid performance.

Ms. Robinson, though, is the heart and soul of Hairspray; it is her story that holds everything together, so it is important that we are on her side from the start. And from the top of the show to its rousing conclusion where she leads the company in "You Can't Stop the Beat", there is never a moment when she is onstage that we are not rooting for her. Whether she is cajoling her parents or Penny, or standing up to Amber and Velma, or connecting with Seaweed and Motormouth Maybelle, or pining away with love for Link, or rallying the troops to demonstrate for inclusion, tolerance, and acceptance of all people, Ms. Robinson's commitment, energy, vocal endurance, and persistent optimism are the major forces in this production. Kudos.

This WOBT production of Hairspray should have River Region audiences talking for some time. In meeting the play's many challenges, in cooperative and collaborative work from numerous local theatres and their personnel, in addressing the serious themes of inclusion that are still too much with us, and in providing a dynamic and provocative and delightful evening's sold-out entertainment, there's more than enough evidence that live theatre is thriving here.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "Peter Pan"

Disclosure: the reviewer is a member of the Board of The Cloverdale Playhouse.

The Cloverdale Playhouse's sold-out run of J. M. Barrie's beloved Peter Pan, with its mix of young and adult actors, continues this weekend under Jason Morgan's inventive direction. Time passes quickly in this production, as we are caught up in the dynamic energy of the strong ensemble actors, the flexibility of the Playhouse's long thrust stage, the inventive and colorful costumes, and the uninhibited truthful  reactions from several younger members of the audience. -- There is some magic going on here.

Audiences are transported to "Neverland" along with Wendy [Piper Doyle], John [Dan Jordan] and Michael [Jake Jordan], as their nursery-bedroom becomes the home of the Lost Boys, a Pirate Ship, and the several other locations in "Neverland" where Peter Pan [Kendrick Golson] -- the leader of the Lost Boys who is determined to "never grow up" -- has brought them, with a sprinkling of pixie-dust compliments of Tinkerbell [Emily Witcher, who also plays the children's mother Mrs. Darling] -- so that Wendy can regale them with stories and become their surrogate Mother. Tinkerbell's jealous streak almost dooms Wendy, and Peter sends her away.

Peter's arch-enemy, the dastardly Captain Hook [Matthew Klinger] -- pursued by the Croccodile that bit off his hand [Steven Majors also plays Nana, the children's "nanny" dog] -- and his cohort of pirates, have captured Tiger Lily [Percionna Hale]; the ever resourceful Peter and his crew rescue her, and things seem to settle down for the moment.

When the children get homesick, their plans of returning are temporarily thwarted by Captain Hook, who also poisons Tinkerbell; but their return home, to be reunited with their doting parents [Ms. Witcher and John McWilliams as Mr. Darling] with all the Lost Boys except Peter in tow, is guaranteed; and Peter promises to return each year to take Wendy back to Neverland at Spring-cleaning time.

While there are a few rushed moments [for example: bringing Tinkerbell back to life by asking: Do you  believe in Fairies? and needing time for "clapping" to bring her back], and a lot of rapid speech that blurs articulation of important plot details, the story and its characters are clear.

The ensemble is a good one, but special notice goes to Mr. McWilliams's portrayal of the stuffy Mr. Darling who nonetheless endears himself with his resistance to display emotion; and to Mr. Klinger's sly and nasty Captain Hook; and to Ms. Doyle's truthful depiction of Wendy's charm, intelligence, and awkward-age need to be treated as an adult.

Holding it all together is Mr. Golson's Peter Pan. Not only does he turn in a remarkably athletic performance, but his ever-ready smile and optimistic outlook in the role makes him completely believable as the boy who won't grow up, and his generous shared relationships with the Darling children, the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily, the Mermaids, the Pirates and Captain Hook keep him the center of attention throughout.

This is the first time the Playhouse Troupe has had a production in the main season at the Cloverdale Playhouse. -- If this is any indication of the quality and audience support, let us hope it continues.

Millbrook" "The Odd Couple"

Ten years ago, The Millbrook Community Players, Inc. opened its inaugural season with Neil Simon's The Odd Couple at the Robinson Springs United Methodist Church. Now housed at the nearby old Robinson Springs Elementary School, their current production of The Odd Couple boasts a cast of veteran actors, several of them reprising roles they played in 2007.

It seems that Simon's works never go out of style: The Odd Couple [1965] is the fourth Simon production to hit the River Region since February -- Fools at Faulkner University, Brighton Beach Memoirs at Prattville's Way Off Broadway Theatre, and Last of the Red Hot Lovers at the Wetumpka Depot. His popularity stems in part from his likable and decent characters [imperfect as they are], as well as his witty dialogue replete with zingers and snappy one-liners.

The Odd Couple is most familiar from the successful 1970-1975 television sitcom of the same name, so there are built in expectations of seeing conflicts between good friends -- the easygoing and sloppy Oscar Madison [John Chain] and his unexpected housemate, the uptight neat-freak Felix Unger [Roger Humber].

When Felix arrives late to the weekly poker game at Oscar's 8-room Manhattan apartment [at $240 a month, a probably rent-controlled bargain even in 1965, when cigarettes went for .38-cents a pack and newspapers cost a dime], the motley crew of poker buddies are all concerned for their friend. Felix reluctantly tells them about his upcoming divorce, and Oscar generously offers to take him in as a temporary housemate. Longtime friendships are put to the test, and disaster is predictably on its way.

Of course, Felix wants to be helpful, and at first everyone is happy that his cooking outshines Oscar's and his tidying-up is a blessing; but things get out of hand as Felix's obsessions with cleanliness and deadlines destroy their camaraderie.  Roy [Wes Meyer], Speed [Bill Rauch], Murray [Mark McGuire], and Vinnie [John Collier] have numerous fallings-out, but Oscar eventually reaches a breaking point when his plans for him and Felix to double-date the Pigeon sisters -- Gwendolyn [Karla McGhee] and Cecily [Rae Ann Collier] -- ends catastrophically.

The play is really about friendship more than anything else: male-bonding over poker, cigars, booze, and bad food; friends who tolerate each others' extreme idiosyncrasies, even friendships between divorced husbands and wives. -- Both Oscar and Felix are devoted to their families [Oscar's sincere phone conversations with his ex-wife show a genter side of his otherwise brusque demeanor, and Felix's declarations of still loving his soon-to-be ex-wife can soften even the hardest hearts].

Directors Susan Chain and Stephanie McGuire have an acting ensemble who appear comfortable in their respective roles and with one another. But some static movement and unclear articulation get in the way of Simon's witty script. [Perhaps the unfortunately small audience had an effect on their performances; greater numbers responses would add to a lively interaction between actors and audience.]

Nonetheless, this production of The Odd Couple delivers on the playwright's intentions, garners some laugh-out-loud moments, and sends a gentle reminder that friendship is important to everyone.

Wetumpka Depot: "Last of the Red Hot Lovers"

Rose: "Why would a man need more than one woman?"
Johnny: "I don 't know. Maybe because he fears death."
--Moonstruck [1987]

Johnny's response in the film Moonstruck is also the crux of the matter in Neil Simon's comedy Last of the Red Hot Lovers [1969], now being shown at the Wetumpka Depot Theatre, where the central character Barney Cashman [Will Webster] engages in hilarious encounters with three distinctly different women.

A bit of a nebbish, and essentially a "gentle, loving, and decent" fellow, Barney is appealingly naive when, after 27 years of marriage, he decides to have an affair, and uses his mother's apartment while she is away for a few hours in the afternoon. Completely ill-equipped for such a dalliance, always aware of his mother's fastidious housekeeping, and naive to any protocols, his attempts at romancing the three women are bound to fail from the very first moment, precisely because he is "gentle, loving, and decent."

Mr. Webster is on stage for the entire two hours and twenty minutes, a tour de force performance that shows this actor's versatility: comic timing, physical dexterity, clear and complex characterization, and a generosity in sharing the stage with three excellent actresses. -- And though Neil Simon was considered a lightweight comic writer in these early days, only being recognized for greater depth as his career developed, there are several serious notes in Last of the Red Hot Lovers that ought to receive attention.

In Barney's first encounter with sexpot Elaine [Leslie Blackwell], he first admits that this is "the first time in my life I think about dying". -- Elaine is loud, direct, and businesslike, and he is obviously nervous; and while he wants conversation "to get to know one another", she wants a drink and a cigarette. Ms. Blackwell is best at delivering one-liners with a deadpan seriousness that take Mr. Webster off-guard. And his blue-suit uptight demeanor dooms the relationship from the start. Our hearts go out to him, and also approve of her matter-of-fact non-judgmental exit.

Barney's second encounter with the hippie Bobbi Michelle [Leanna Wallace] is by far the most outrageously comical of the three. Ms. Wallace inhabits her character with all its contradictions and paranoid behavior with such unassuming grace and naivete that each squeal or aggression or petulance is welcomed by collective audience laughter. Goofy and charming throughout, this pot smoking scatterbrained chatterbox who has a Nazi-lesbian roommate, never misses a beat; and the pot smoking sequence loosens Barney up to the delight of the audience, especially as it has a near maudlin realization of Barney's age and mortality.

In the third encounter with Jeannette [Chantel Oakley] the icing is put on Simon's cake. Jeannette is a friend who clutches her pocketbook and has what amounts to an extraordinary emotional breakdown, sobbing uncontrollably and ruining any chance of an affair. -- She too is searching for the happiness that Barney seeks, and Ms. Oakley's melodramatic demands for him to name three people who are "gentle, loving, and decent" lead them both to realize that they and their spouses are the only ones that matter. Growing old together with the recognition that other people experience the same doubts and fears is a comforting note on which to end Barney's escapades.

Director Tom Salter stages Last of the Red Hot Lovers on a period specific 1960s set, and defines each scene distinctly, always aware of Barney's attempts to improve by adjusting to what came before, yet failing gloriously each time. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments that stem from Simon's witty dialogue and adroit characterizations from the acting ensemble, making this an enjoyable and thought provoking production.

Cloverdale Playhouse: "The Crucible"

Disclosure: the reviewer is a member of the Board of Directors of The Cloverdale Playhouse.

First-time director Sarah Adkins brings a lot to the table in her audacious post-apocalyptic production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, the playwright's 1953 response to Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist "witch hunts" that Miller set during the actual 17th Century Salem, MA witch trials.

Replete with haunting music and sound effects by Stephen Dubberley, Mike Winkelman's "in-yer-face" theatre-in-the-round staging [multi-level platforms and harsh lighting create a harrowing mis-en-scene to support the story], a team's -- led by Matthew Oliver and Mariah Reilly, with Danny Davidson and Michael Reilly -- suitably "distressed" and well-chosen costumes, and a 20-strong age-appropriate acting ensemble who create indelible characters and articulate Miller's words and ideas with enviable clarity and conviction, Ms. Adkins' directorial debut resonates long after the performance ends.

Audiences at The Crucible seem eager to continue the conversation between the Acts and after the curtain call. -- How does what happened in 1692, or in the 1950s, or [in the case of this production] in a bleakly envisioned future, impact us in 2017? -- When we see in The Crucible how religious fanaticism trumps any cogent argument, how accusations and alternative facts are proclaimed without any regard for evidential support, how entitlement comes from money or social class, how mere suspicion equates with guilt, how fear-mongering becomes intimidating through persistence in shouting down or ignoring opposing views, the correlations with the current state of affairs at home and abroad leap off the Playhouse stage and into our collective consciousness.

It is important to know that witches and witchcraft were widely believed in 1692 Salem; yet, there are some strange happenings there and across the Massachusetts Bay Colony that Miller confronts in The Crucible. -- Puritan minister Reverend Parris [Jason Morgan in a transforming characterization that is arguably a career-defining role] has seen several young girls dancing in the woods with his Barbadian slave Tituba [Meghan Ducote] and suspects their mischief may have included conjuring the devil, especially since his own daughter Betty [Frances Brown] was one of them and is now lying in bed "afflicted" and comatose. Fearing his reputation more than anything else, he has called for witchcraft expert Reverend Hale [Marcus Clement shows a complex range as his character changes allegiances] to come from nearby Beverly to detect witchcraft, and if so to destroy witches in the name of God, and prevent an outbreak of panic and hysteria.

Parris' niece Abigail Williams [Amber Baldwin, cold-hearted and despicable in the role] is the ring-leader of the girls, who is determined to maintain their innocence at all costs; she had had a brief affair with local farmer John Proctor [Kalonji Gilchrist] when she worked for him; when Proctor's wife Elizabeth [Mariah Reilly] discovered their affair, she kicked Abigail out of the house, but the younger woman refuses to be put off when Proctor says their relationship is over. -- She then takes advantage of Proctor's weakness to shift attention from the girls' conjuring in the woods by charging witchcraft on Elizabeth in order to kill her off and take her place with Proctor. -- Abigail's chief cohort, Mary Warren [Alex Rikerd is riveting in the role as her testimony will determine the results], provides a glimmer of hope when she agrees to testify on Elizabeth's behalf; but her shifting allegiances get the better of her as she succumbs to Abigail's authority.

How easy and familiarly contemporary it seems, and how quickly the fear and hysteria snowball. --  Parris is more concerned with retaining his position than with the well-being of the community he is meant to serve from the pulpit; wealthy Thomas Putnam [George Jacobsen] and his wife Ann [Elizabeth Bowles] are ready to accuse others of witchcraft as they suspect the infant-deaths of several of their children can only be explained that way. In haughty and determined characterizations, their history of winning lawsuits by dint of their wealth and social position is also a matter of contention from Giles Corey [Tom Lawson] and Francis Nurse [Bill Llewellyn]. So, whenever the truth about the girls' exploits are in danger of being revealed, Abigail leads them in "spontaneous fits" and outrageous accusations of witchcraft against Rebecca Nurse [Teri Sweeney] and several of the most respected members of the community. And our sympathies go out to them.

Yet things get even more frightening on the arrival of Judge Hathorne [Lee Bridges] and the imposing Deputy Governor Danforth [Roy Goldfinger];  a stern and practical man, Danforth is a calculating presence in Mr. Goldfinger's portrayal. Sticking to the letter if the law during the trials, he seems to favor the stature of the court and his position over justice, and refuses to examine evidence or stop the executions; he clearly is Miller's villain, since he wields life or death authority over the falsely accused but acts unfairly and unreasonably. And yet, he cannot fathom the people's fear of him and his court. Even Reverend Hale's frustrated declaration -- "I quit this court!" -- when he determines the fraudulence of the accusations and testimonies, does not deter Danforth; when Hale returns to "minister" to the condemned, Danforth is temporarily caught off guard, but tries to use Hale to his pre-determined judgments.

When Proctor tries to defend his wife against invented and circumstantial evidence, and Abigail's vengeful tantrums threaten to disrupt the proceedings, he calls her a whore, thus condemning himself as a lecher and sealing Elizabeth's fate when she lies in his defense saying she knew nothing of the affair. -- The focus of Miller's play is on the Proctors, and Mr. Gilchrist and Ms. Reilly imbue their characters' complexity and contradictions faithfully. With subtle vocal and physical changes, clarity of intentions, and impressive dignity of character, these two actors create a palpable tension in every scene they are in, and an empathy with the audience.

There are a few times when staging blocks important action from parts of the audience, and when lines are muddled or hard to hear because of intense emotions or busy stage action, but The Crucible [its three hours seem to fly by] certainly ranks high in The Cloverdale Playhouse's seasonal offerings : fine ensemble performances of a challenging and provocative script that has been given new life by Ms. Adkins -- a promising emerging director.

ASF: "The Tempest"

Part One:
Geoffrey Sherman is stepping down this Summer at the end of his 12-year stint as Producing Artistic Director at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival; so it is fitting that his last Shakespeare production is The Tempest, acknowledged as the Bard's last play written alone [without collaborators], and one that many scholars believe is his farewell to the stage through the figure of the play's protagonist Prospero, played here by Esau Pritchett, seen recently at ASF in Dauphin Island.

The version of The Tempest that Sherman is presenting is "a transcription for contemporary voices" by Kenneth Cavander, one of many playwrights commissioned by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's "Play on!" series -- more about that project follows below -- and whose Timon of Athens played at ASF a couple of seasons ago. A curious choice.

The story opens with a storm at sea and a shipwreck with the King of Naples and his retinue on board, the "tempest" caused by Prospero, the ousted Duke of Milan who, with his 4-year-old daughter Miranda, was set adrift years ago and landed on an uncharted island. Here, Prospero discovered magic, enslaved the monster Caliban and the sprite Ariel who do his bidding with varying degrees of resistance. -- As the now teenaged Miranda worries about the shipwrecked passengers, Prospero assures her they are not harmed and decides it is time for her to know her origins and learn later of his intentions of revenge and ultimate forgiveness.

The lengthy exposition establishes secondary stories of the aristocrats' inner fighting and murder plots, the clowns' drunkenness and attachment to Caliban in a plot to take over the island by killing Prospero, and the deliberate separation of the King's son Ferdinand from the others in order to manage a contrived meeting with Miranda and their instant romance. -- Keeping these disparate groups apart till the penultimate scene affords audiences some suspense leading up to the inevitable gathering of all the characters and the discovery of Prospero's intentions.

Part Two:
Sherman's production has a lot of things going for it to delight the eye and ear: romantic costumes [Pamela Scofield], evocative musical composition [James Conely] and sound score [William H.Burns], complimentary scenery [James Wolk] and lighting [Kendall Smith], several magical special effects, stunning video projections [Brad Peterson] that establish locations and atmosphere, and talented and committed ensemble actors.

James Bowen's and Rodney Clark's buffoonery as the clownish Trinculo and Stephano eke out some sympathy for their predicament and drunken behavior; and their lording it over Caliban offers the pretensions of lower class men attempting to act like aristocrats.

Paul Hebron's sympathetic portrayal of Gonzalo, the old councillor who aided Prospero in his escape and who here adds a needed dignity to the aristocracy; especially as King Alonzo [Larry Tobias], his brother Sebastian [Jason Martin], and Prospero's brother Antonio [John Manfredi] who had usurped the Dukedom from Prospero years ago, are by and large a mean-spirited group.

As the love-at-first-sight couple, Ferdinand [Seth Andrew Bridges] and Miranda [Christina King] demonstrate an adolescent innocence along with appropriate excessive emotions. We, along with Prospero who had set this all up, approve of their union from the start; and their relationships with Prospero [father/daughter; father-in-law/son-in-law] are instantly recognizable.

Relationships are strained between Prospero and Caliban [Brik Berkes]. Mr. Berkes imbues the role with credible resentment [he once had the island to himself]; and though Prospero had treated him nicely at first, he turned on him when Caliban attempted to violate Miranda. As he says: "You taught me language; and my profit on 't/Is, I know how to curse."

As the sprite Ariel, Erin Chupinsky does Prospero's bidding willingly, but is eager for the freedom from bondage that Prospero had promised. Ms. Chupinksy is an adept dancer and singer, and seems to delight in the various tricks and magic that Prospero commands of Ariel. -- There is a bond between them that is expressed gently in their final moments together.

A commanding presence, Mr. Pritchett's Prospero is, by turns, paternal, authoritative, compassionate, vengeful, driven, and contemplative -- a many-dimensioned character who can turn on a dime and have audiences engaged throughout. Well done.

Part Three:
Elizabethan audiences went to "hear" a play, much like we go to "see" a play. So, it is not unusual for the production values in modern staging to receive much of the audiences' attention, sometimes distracting us from the sound of the words and the words themselves. -- For a long time, productions of Shakespeare have been edited, adapted, set in exotic locales and time periods, had all female casts, and been subjected to post-apocalyptic interpretations. So, it is common enough to attend a non-traditional rendering. And directors have regularly updated occasional antiquated words.

The "Play on!" project has been debated since its inception, questioning whether there is a need for updating scripts so contemporary audiences will find them more accessible. One camp believes that such "translations" will make them clearer, can attract new audiences, and stand side by side with the original scripts. Another camp believes that changing Shakespeare's vocabulary and versification dumbs-down the originals and condescends to today's audiences who, given productions by classically trained actors who make the words effortlessly comprehensible, will most certainly understand them; and that the richness of Shakespeare's words and the robustness of his verse must be preserved.

"Do no harm" is the charge given to all 36 "Play on!" writers: "don't add personal politics, don't fix Shakespeare's structure, observe the rigors of language [meter, rhythm, metaphor, imagery, rhyme, rhetoric, and structural content]; but go line-by-line, updating antiquated language, but retaining as much of the original as didn't need change".

While Cavander's script does retain much of Shakespeare's original [Prospero's major monologues, for example, and some familiar lines: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on..." and "O brave new world...", for example], many of the changes have rendered a less than vibrant dialogue and a flatness to the verse that the actors must rise above.

The beauty of Shakespeare's language is in part the sound of it. I missed luxuriating in that in listening to Cavander's version, despite the visual delight of this production.