THE TEMPEST Comes to The Long Beach Playhouse
Trickery, romance, and revenge set the stage for one of William Shakespeare's late masterpieces, in which sprites, goddesses, monsters, and fools hold court. In this fanciful classic that is often described as the darker twin to A Midsummer Night's Dream, a deposed noble turned sorcerer uses powerful magic to raise a great storm, shipwrecking the vessel bearing a group of conspirators onto the sorcerer's mysterious island home. There, attended upon by a daughter, a magical sprite, and a deformed servant, the sorcerer leads their enemies through a mysterious dream as circumstances transform vengeance to reconciliation and forgiveness.
"Shakespeare is timeless," said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse's Executive Director. "We never go too long without producing one of his plays because the themes are timeless and his words give the actors a chance to have fun with the intricacies of the language. Nobody does insults and humor like Shakespeare."
"I'm always attracted to stories that deal with the fragility of justice," said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "In The Tempest we see the injustice of what is done to Prospero, but we also see that Prospero is willing to subjugate others. I find this play to be a morally ambiguous, which is frustrating and yet an honest observation of the realities of life."
Surrounding the poetry and storyline will be the set and the costumes. Donna Fritsche's immense talent will be on full display in the costumes she designs. Along with the Elizabethan splendor of royalty, there are sprites, magicians, a drunken butler and a dead sorceress whose costumes will delight the audiences with their style, wit and beauty. Added to that is a set that will include a ship, and island and dream sequences, we can expect the ingenuity and design expertise to provide a stunning backdrop for the actors and the story.
The 14-member cast is a mix of returning actors and those making their debuts on the Playhouse stage. Returning actors include: Stephen Alan Carver, Hayley Jackson, Lee Samuel Tanng, Holland Renton, Amara Phelps, Stephen Biggs, Alex Shewchuk, and Tyler Gray. Those making their debut are: Jessica Bell, Benjamin White, Gillian Gonzales, La Vonna Miller and Sarah Hoeven.
The director for this show is Mary Shaugh and this is her first show at the Playhouse. Her talents as a director and performer have taken her from New York to Los Angeles. She is an accomplished opera singer with a passion for bringing timeless stories to audiences.
Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00
Saturday and Sunday: Adults are $24.00, Seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.
Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.
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