William Shakespeare’s 1603 comic fantasy “The Tempest” is one of his lightest confections, but you would never guess it from the heavy-handed revisionist interpretations that it has been subjected to in recent years. Nowadays, the politically correct way to view this tale of a magician and his otherworldly servants is as a diatribe against the evils of colonialism, rather than the blithe farce the Bard intended.
Leave it to Keegan Theatre to get it right. Their production of “The Tempest,” presented as part of the “Shakespeare in Washington” celebration, is not only extremely funny, but is also the most charming and enjoyable entry in the festival so far.
The story concerns Prospero (Rob Leembruggen), sorcerer and once rightful Duke of Milan, who, with his daughter Miranda (Ally Raber), has been stranded on a small island since beingdeposed by his brother Antonio (Eric Messner). The only other inhabitants of the isle, spirit Ariel (Courtney Weber) and monster Caliban (Mike Gregorek), have been forced into submission by Prospero’s magic.
When, by pure chance, a ship carrying Antonio, King Alonso (John Porter), his son Ferdinand (Joe Baker) and their underlings passes by, Prospero summons a storm to force the vessel ashore. As is typical with Shakespeare’s comedies, there are numerous conflicts and misunderstandings between the characters that are all sorted out in time for a happy ending.
Director Timothy S. Shaw has done a wonderful job of making this “Tempest” the amusing trifle it was meant to be. The leading performances are excellent, but given the lighthearted approach, it is not surprising that the play’s clowns come off best.
Crew member Trincolo (Jeremy Brown) is played as a dumb-as-a-doorknob redneck. (Kind of like “Ernest Does Shakespeare.”) Butler Stephano (Tim O’Kane) is a drunken buffoon who makes his entrance staggering down the center aisle. (In a moment definitely not in the original text, he stops to ask an audience member, “Am I supposed to be on now?”) And, in what has to be a first for the Bard, a fight between the two of them ends with one giving the other a wedgie.
With its nominal ticket prices, Keegan’s “The Tempest” is just the thing for those theatergoers who want to get in on the current Shakespeare festivities, but have limited entertainment budgets.
IF YOU GO …
Keegan Theatre’s “The Tempest” runs through Feb. 17.
Venue: The Church Street Theater, 1742 Church St., NW, Washington
Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $20 to $25
More info: 703-892-0202, www.keegantheatre.com
