Gallery Theater Presents THE TEMPEST, 2/18-3/12

Opening Friday, February 18 on the main stage is William Shakespeare's The Tempest. On the fourth of June 1609, a fleet of ships set sail from Plymouth (England) to strengthen the colony at Jamestown. On the 24th of July, in a tempest near Bermuda, one of the ships, the Sea Venture, carrying Secretary-to-be William Strachey, became separated from the rest and ran aground on the islands. Everyone on board survived. There, the crew and passengers stayed for 10 months while they built two new ships in which they completed their journey to Virginia in May, 1610.
 
While stranded on the Bermuda island, Strachey composed a long letter (over 20,000 words) documenting the storm, their miraculous survival, their stay, relationships with the natives and the "magic" of the island. Through a circuitous route, this letter landed in Shakespeare's hands. Shortly thereafter, The Tempest was completed.
 
The Tempest has, since scholars and others began their studious storm of the play's intent, has weathered a fleet of questions. Was Tempest Shakespeare's last play? Does the play illustrate the westward movement, colonization? Does the pedagogy of the first King James's England push the dynamics of Miranda's upbringing and Caliban's European enlightenment? Did Shakespeare use biblical references to capture the intent of man's moral base? Was Prospero Shakespeare with a magic wand? With all the centuries of analysis, debate and academic pontification of Tempest, what should never be forgotten is that this is Shakespeare's most unique (and to many eyes and ears) most favorite play.
 
All of the questions (with the possible exception of whether this was Shakespeare's last play) can be answered with a resounding yes. With a nod to the academics, there is certainly a deliberate and heavy-handed component of Manifest Destiny. From the America's to Australia, this theme has brought to light Prospero as a paternal autocrat as he teaches and lords over Caliban and Ariel. During King James's reign, there was openness in the proper education of not only those at court, but commoners as well. Prospero's professorial approach to his own form of pedagogy is a vehicle of both fear and enlightenment. During Shakespeare's life, the dominance of both Christianity and Catholicism in English culture (ideologies controlled by the monarchs of Elizabeth I, and James I) influenced his work, but none more strongly that in The Tempest. The play is overflowing with both overt and subtle references to the Bible.
 
Whether or not Shakespeare was writing of his life or his personal quarrels within his life are the stuff that academic dreams are made on. And to any audience of The Tempest, such theoretical inquisitions should not matter. The Tempest is simply a majestically magical story of love, servitude and freedom, the supernatural, reality, man and the natural world, loyalty and betrayal, compassion and forgiveness and the divine. And it is a play to enjoy, whether from an intellectual or common point of view.
 
Performance Dates: February 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, March 4, 5, 6, 11 & 12-2011
 
Curtain: Friday and Saturday-7:30 p.m., Sunday- 3:00 p.m.          
 
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW: Standard Seating: $16 Adults, $14 Students/Seniors. Premium Seating: $17 Adults, $15 Students/Seniors. Gallery's box office is open Tuesday through Friday; 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Call 472-2227 for tickets. For further information go to www.gallerytheater.org.

 

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