Be prepared.
A quiet moment of visual magic opens the Merely Players production of “The Tempest.” It is swiftly followed by surging seas, mighty winds, thunderclaps, lightning flashes and fearful human cries for salvation. That extreme contrast is part of the grand illusion that officially starts the 2023-24 season in Merely Underground.
Last weekend, the company didn’t disappoint its patrons who expect theatrical magic when they enter the performance space.
The Players have opened another season with a proverbial bang – a bone-rattling shipwreck that propels the action in Shakespeare’s last play.
In a double stroke of creative genius, Director Mona Wood-Patterson and Technical Director Charles Ford incorporate found elements in the Underground to enhance the illusion of chaos at sea. Ford’s projections of Northern Ireland’s geological wonder, the Giant’s Causeway, foam on a screen. Desperate sea sounds precede the cranky opening of the big, metal delivery door. In a huge surprise entrance, the players as if on a sinking ship enter the theater. The illusion is astonishing – the royal entourage from Naples adrift in a terrifying calamity.
If you go
WHAT: “The Tempest,” by William Shakespeare, presented by Merely Players, directed by Mona Wood-Patterson.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Oct. 12, 13 and 14; 2 p.m. Oct. 15.
WHERE: Merely Underground, 789 Tech Center Drive.
ADMISSION: $30.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://merelyplayers.org or call 749-8585.
The complicated story threads several strands of royals and commoners with themes of betrayal, displacement, revenge and, ultimately, forgiveness as a goal. Wood-Patterson’s directorial skills are apparent throughout as she clarifies each element and character cluster with simple but clear blocking. Many cast members appeared in last year’s Shakespearean production, “As You Like It.” So many, that one could say that we now can boast a Merely Shakespearean Company.
Heading a cast of 17, is Prospero, the former Duke of Milan (the subtle and wizened Paul E. Laakso, capable of quiet musing, angry command and final acceptance). His magical powers enable him to manifest the shipwreck which brings his enemies to the island. Miranda, Prospero’s daughter (knowingly played by Mohriah James), learns her story late and falls in love with Prince Ferdinand (the versatile Joey Panelli, who doubles as the drunk butler Stephano in a comic subplot with a charmingly silly Felicia Meyer as Trinculo). Prospero’s two servants underscore themes of power and freedom, baseness and imagination: Ariel (a gleeful Conor Sheehan) and Caliban (a menacing Matt Bodo) forward, complicate and intensify Prospero’s machinations.
All cast members acquit themselves well, and Wood-Patterson’s famous dedication to exact text readings continues. Prospero’s speech about the illusions of theater is quietly outstanding. Director’s intentions, technical aspects and an actor’s delivery converge to make a quiet and cogent statement with a touch of reverence.
For all of the striking theatricality of the opening shipwreck that propels all of the action, the closing image in Wood-Patterson’s eye is a silent and profound counterpart.
Judith Reynolds is an arts journalist and member of the American Theatre Critics Association.
