The Tempest [Public Theater] – 29 August 2023

As a scholar of Shakespeare and student of theatre in a broader sense, I found myself pulled in multiple directions by The Public’s 2023 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Tempest. The sum total of the changes they made created a light, fun musical in the park that was accessible to and inclusive of audiences of all ages and all comfort levels with typical Shakespearean stories. My main critique is that the adaptation and interpretation were so far from the source material that the biggest stretch of all was calling it “The Tempest”.

Renee Elise Goldsberry carried the show vocally as protagonist Prospero, yet her role within the story was that of a mother where Shakespeare’s Prospero was a father. While I often enjoy gender swaps, particularly in Shakespearean productions, Goldsberry’s Prospero was solely based on the concept of motherhood. This concept overshadowed the typical Shakespearean themes of isolation, revenge, agony, and confusion, and felt reductive.

The interpretation of Caliban (portrayed by Theo Stockman) was an equally bold revision. Thematic questions of what it means to be indigenous or from somewhere felt at first like an interesting interpretation and gesture, but the exaggeration of Caliban’s obsequious nature and level of certainty that someone else had to be in power to give him power felt profoundly frustrating. There were moments where well-placed sarcasm might have saved this conceptually, but Stockman’s commitment to his character’s ignorance transformed the audience from pity to revulsion, a transformation that could not be undone even by the powerful solo ballad in the second act.

The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park always strives to be inclusive of as much of the community as possible. This creates a blessing and a curse. It is wonderful to see such a variety of ages and cultures on stage sharing a moment. It is also difficult for audience sight lines and sometimes clarity of the narrative itself to have so many people on stage at the same time. Many of these ensemble members are barely visible to the audience, and their inclusion becomes logistical and ceases to advance the narrative. Many are singing without microphones and cannot be heard, dancing so far in the back that they cannot be seen, and participating in large ensemble numbers whose relation to the plot is tangential at best.

This version of The Tempest told a great story, had lots of powerful moments, and left me with a lot to think about. However, I am having trouble relating it to William Shakespeare’s The Tempest thematically or narratively. While the connection to Shakespeare’s world and story telling styles is difficult to make, the heartwarming connection to the concept of community theatre, searches for love, identity confusion, struggles with withheld freedoms, and discoveries of origin stories certainly make for a delightfully entertaining adventure in the park.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.