The Tempest (Shakespeare)

This is the first Shakespeare play Darko Tresnjak has directed at Hartford Stage since he began Artistic Director.  And as such, it promises many interesting productions.

This production is most distinctive in its visual imagination, its most arresting moment occurring in the first few minutes when a sleeping woman and lengths of cloth become the prow and sails of a ship in a tempest-tossed sea.  The play also features dancers and an acrobat in the frequently omitted masque of Ceres. And the porthole at the back of the stage is effectively used, especially when the fathers peer at Miranda and Ferdinand playing chess.  As far as interpreting the play, this production takes no chances and offers nothing fresh.

Recommend.