The Tempest
at The Madeira School

Reviewed on November 1, 2014

Neal Going
James Madison High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

William Shakespeare's controversial, final work became this year's first Cappies production, performed by The Madeira School of McLean, Virginia. Though faced with the challenge of a male and female production, The Madeira School, which has an all-female student body, did so by altering masculine names to the feminine gender and by creatively dressing the actresses to look masculine for the final product- The Tempest.

Written between 1610 and 1611, this Shakespearean Romance follows a neoclassical style with three subplots following the plight of the shipwrecked, the revenge of Prospero (Prospera in Madeira's production), and the lovers. All three plots culminate into one ending in which Prospera solves all the problems. Historians believe Shakespeare wrote Prospera's disavowal of the use of magic to reflect the end of his own writing career-- Shakespeare's "magic" was writing for the stage. Originally a flop in Seventeenth Century England, The Tempest was revived in the Twentieth Century to be one of Shakespeare's greatest works alongside Romeo and Juliet.

Small ensembles anchored this show with independent plots to support the overall performance. The audience enjoyed featured scenes and moments. Specifically, the Ariels (Diana Smith and Cori Williams) were a dynamic duo, playing off of each other's strengths. Diana Smith was consistently attentive to the action taking place before her and maintained appropriate, yet expressive, facial expressions throughout the entire performance. Cori Williams displayed her strong vocals with ease in a few a cappella pieces throughout the show. The two played off of each other with Smith having a happier demeanor and Williams with a more sinister, alluring disposition.

Comedy made its entrance when Jeeho Ha (Trinculo), Mary Kate Gould (Stephano), and Kerstin Shimkin (Caliban) tickled the audience's funny bone with their drunken revelry during their reunion on the island. Jeeho Ha's ability to belch right on cue as well as her comedic timing and Shimkin's persistence of staying on all fours were true crowd pleasers. Gaelyn Smith (Antonia) delivered a level of sauciness with her stellar diction that balanced Claire Pitzer's (Gonzala) optimistic, proper character portrayal. Though a group of characters took advantage of their featured moments, many characters shrieked lines at times in place of giving a true dramatic or comedic interpretation as intended. Much of the storyline was hard to follow as actresses threw away their lines when facing upstage for blocking or when covering their faces with props. Some couples in the show were awkward in their relationships as they strayed from the intended comedic portrayal. Though misinterpretations occurred, the show followed an appropriate pace to keep audiences interested.

The student-made set, lead by Kelleen Moriarty, Millenah Nascimento, Sakrana Uddin, and Sabrina Chin, was clean and professional. The building allowed for a level of depth that provided visual location cues for the audience. Moreover, the stage floor was a blend of purple, pink, orange, yellow, and blue pastels that were picked up by the lights to set the mood for each scene. Although the stage was beautifully painted, multiple sound problems occurred throughout the performance. The stage management lead by Grace Kennedy, Sukrana Uddin, and Mona Hagmagid consistently moved along the show without any technical mishaps.

Though the company was composed of all girls, The Tempest at The Madeira School creatively took on this four-hundred-year-old play admirably. Prospera leaves us with the closing declaration, "Let your indulgence set me free!"-- an enduring metaphor to Shakespeare's final moment of applause.

Emma Norville
West Potomac High School
Submitted for publication to Washington Post - Fairfax

A sorceress seeking revenge, bumbling drunkards, budding romance, shipwrecks, castaways, meddling fairies, a little bit of foul weather; where else can these elements come together if not in Shakespeare's late romance, "The Tempest"?

Written by William Shakespeare in 1610, "The Tempest" ties together the story of shipwrecked nobles, a sorceress seeking revenge, and two lovers. The scene is set on a remote island where the powerful sorceress, Prospera, has been residing with her daughter, Miranda, after being banished by Queen Alonsa. As revenge, Prospera conjures a storm over the queen's ship, scattering her and her entourage across the island.

From her first scene, the sorceress, Prospera, portrayed by Kelleen Moriarty, had a commanding presence. She exhibited a clear understanding of her character through her line delivery. She established believable relationships with all her scene partners, especially with her character's daughter, Miranda. Also notable was the performance of Kerstin Shimkin as the island's monster, Caliban. She played the role believably by being fully committed to her character and having decrepit physicality.

As the Queen's Jester, Trinculo, Jeeho Ha stole the show. She proved to be one to watch during her first scene as she ran onto the stage screaming. Jeeho did the comedic role justice with her comical delivery and exaggerated physicality. Jeeho and the rest of the drunkards (Mary Kate Gould and Kerstin Shimkin) played well off each other and brought great energy to the stage.

The cast had trouble staying fully engaged and energized throughout the play; however, they showed a great understanding of the dialogue and successfully communicated the intertwining plot lines and the poetic language of the play to the audience.

The detailed and beautifully constructed sets were undoubtedly a highlight of the play. Not only were they visually stunning, but their simplicity made for seamless scene transitions. There were multiple levels of the set giving the island depth and creating beautiful stage pictures. Even with the lights off, the set stood out as lights behind them created a gorgeous silhouette.

Performing Shakespeare is no easy task; however, the cast and crew did a commendable job in recreating this classic Shakespearean romance and showing the audience the transition from turbulence to harmony.

Gillian Wright
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Patch.com - Fairfax

Lightning electryifies the stage and gusts of wind hurl people to the floor, the desperate sailors' shouting barely rose above the cacophony of gale winds. Yet from such chaos commencing Madeira's production of "The Tempest" arose something beautiful as the quite real shipmates combined with the mystical elements of the island upon which they landed to form a unique harmony.

Shakespeare's style is clear in "The Tempest," during which one comedic, one dramatic, and one tragic plot concurrently transpire. Prospera, a wizardess and former duchess of Naples, rules an obscure, bewitched island, where she lives with her daughter, Miranda, her enslaved fairy, Ariel, and a captive beast, Caliban. When Alonsa, Sebastiana, Ferdinand, and their companions, all from Naples, are shipwrecked, they each land separately upon the island. Ferdinand and Miranda fall in love while shipmates Stephano and Trinculo make fast friends with Caliban.

Kelleen Moriarty, playing Prospera, employed well-developed characterization to smoothly transition between interactions. Clad in a royal purple gown, Moriarty first maternally guided Miranda (Grace Owen) through her struggles, then authoritatively commanded her magical subjects. Owen convincingly portrayed Miranda as a sheltered young woman heady with her first love, while across from her Ferdinand (Vei Vei Thomas) displayed a wide variety of emotions as she strove to simultaneously woo Miranda and fulfill Prospero's harsh demands.

In an unconventional interpretation, Ariel was played by two actresses, Cori Williams and Diana Smith. Sometimes alternating lines and at other times acting in perfect synchronization, the two made a cohesively whimsical pair. Kerstin Shimkin was impressively animalistic in her portrayal of Caliban, embracing a crouched, primitive physicality and ribald personality. Enthralled by the subhuman creature, Stephano (Mary Kate Gould) and Trinculo (Jeeho Ha) played off each other and their new friend in their constant joking and joviality. Ha stood out especially, using her exaggerated facial expressions and thorough understanding of the meaning of her lines to leave the audience in peals of laughter.

Built entirely by students, the set added depth to the show, both literally and figuratively. Standing on a detailed stone hill, Prospera was able to exert her dominance by elevating herself above the other characters, while a hollow stage extension allowed Caliban to scramble up to the stage from below, signifying her inferiority. Strategic placement of set pieces encouraged an engaging flow of actors around the stage, augmenting the dynamism of the show. The professional lighting was breathtaking as it replicated sunsets, storms, and surreal skies with every imaginable combination of colors. Though there were occasional issues with the actresses' projection, strategically placed stage microphones enabled the audience to hear almost every line.

A play written 400 years ago for solely male actors may seem a doubtful choice for an ensemble of all female actresses. But between the skillful comedic timing, authentic chemistry, and alluring technical designs, the Madeira School's production of "The Tempest" was successful in every respect, making this show a truly enchanting experience for everyone involved.

Zoe Le Menestrel
McLean High School
Submitted for publication to Insidenova - Sun Gazette

"We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep". The poignant beauty of Prospero's sentiment serves as the perfect pinnacle to the Madeira School's heart-rending piece. He alone seems to know the true brevity of our time on Earth, and thus strives to manipulate the world to his liking before he joins the ranks of the asleep. His fabricated storms rage, but romances assuage in Madeira's rendition of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Written in 1610 or 1611 (Shakespeare enthusiasts cannot quite agree), The Tempest tells the tale of the wronged magician Prospero. For twelve years, he and his daughter, Miranda, have been stranded on an island after Prospero's own brother, Antonio, expelled him from his seat as the Duke of Milan. The play opens with dramatic cracks of thunder as Prospero engineers his revenge plot in the form of a terrible tempest. Antonio's ship falls prey to the violent waves, and his companions Prince Ferdinand and King Alonso join him in washing up on shore. Prospero and his servant Ariel manipulate the royals, culminating in bitter betrayals and timeless stories of love.

Madeira's theatre department finds itself in the unique position of having an entirely female cast, but they circumvented this challenge by effectively switching every role to be female (Prospero becomes Prospera, Antonio, Antonia etc.) except Prince Ferdinand, Stephano, and Trinculo. Every actress is to be commended for adapting to these changes.

As the standout performer of the afternoon, Kelleen Moriarty (Prospera) led the cast with poise. Her emotional complexity and thorough understanding of Shakespearean language set her apart from other actresses who were unable to achieve the same brand of dynamic performance. Her servants, an ensemble of fairy creatures, enchanted the audience with their fluid movements, haunting vocals, and impish ploys. Among them, Cori Williams and Diana Smith, both in the role of Ariel, were definite highlights. Although they shared lines and blocking, they managed to devise distinct personas with their unique facials and individual inflections, while still maintaining cohesiveness.

Elsewhere on the island, a trio of drunkards meander the terrain, ludicrously scheming to overthrow Prospera. Consisting of the shipwrecked court jester and butler, Trinculo (Jeeho Ha) and Stephano (Mary Kate Gould), along with malicious island local Caliban (Kerstin Shimkin), their hijinks and misadventures lent themselves perfectly to hilarity. Shimkin demonstrated impressively consistent animalistic physicality and vocal quality, as well as a knack for grasping the true meaning behind Shakespeare's cryptic words. Ha, meanwhile, had a captivating comic presence made evident through her delightful zest and constant engagement no matter the scene.

The actors shone, but the technical elements were no less brilliant. The student constructed set was absolutely stunning. Composed of multiple tiers of ultra-realistic craggy rock embedded with lilies and crawling vines, it filled the stage beautifully. Its depth and layers of intricacy allowed the lighting plot to play off of it exquisitely.

In an era of Shakespeare plays manipulated into any and every concept, Madeira's The Tempest stayed refreshingly true to the original. The cast and crew brought justice to the glamour and magic Shakespeare evoked with just his quill and ink.

Kelley Czajka
Walt Whitman High School
Submitted for publication to Connection

Despite the chaos of the titular storm, Madeira's production of The Tempest was all smooth sailing. The plotlines, movement, and transitions weaved together seamlessly, clarifying any plot points lost in the sometimes-unclear dialogue.

The Tempest is believed to be one of Shakespeare's final works, written in 1610. Shakespeare's version would have had an all-male cast, but the cast of Madeira's production was all female. Consequently, some names were altered to fit the all-female production.

The story follows rightful Duchess Prospera of Milan, who has been stranded for 12 years on an island with her daughter, Miranda, after being sent away by her sister Antonia and Queen Alonsa of Naples. Prospera orders the Ariels, or spirits, to conjure up a tempest to strand her enemies on the island. The play contains three intermingling plot lines: the plight of the shipwreck, the revenge of Prospera, and the love between Miranda and Prince Ferdinand of Naples.

Prospera's (Kelleen Moriarty's) motherly instincts and commanding stage presence made her a perfect fit for queen. Through body language and tone of voice, she established varied relationships with each of the other characters. Her tender relationship with Miranda (Grace Owen) was shaped through delicate hair stroking and warm language, whereas her authoritative relationship over her subjects on the island was established through scolding.

The jester Trinculo (Jeeho Ha), the drunkard Stephano (Mary Kate Gould), and the monster Caliban (Kerstin Shimkin) carried the comedic aspect of the show. This side plot involves the two humans confusing the monster for a fish and, upon realizing he isn't, getting him drunk on wine so they can take him back to England and sell him for a fortune. The trio then plots to overthrow Prospera and take over the island. Ha especially demonstrated a mastery of her part, annunciating clearly and loudly and complementing her lines with engaging vocal inflections and amusing facial expressions.

The fairies, particularly the Ariels (Cori Williams and Diana Smith), were fluid and together as they flitted around the stage. In contrast, Caliban was portrayed as being animalistic, always crouching low to the ground. Their uninterrupted movements were facilitated by the detailed, creative sets, which were constructed by students. There were staircases and platforms made to look like boulders, which added a sense of depth to the production and gave the actresses several levels to work with.

Although some of the dialogue was incomprehensible, the actresses managed to convey the story through consistently effective movement, body language, and tone of voice.

Maddie Clark
Loudoun Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Fairfax County Times

A raging storm and a broken ship. Magic, mythology, monsters. Breathtakingly portrayed by The Madeira School, The Tempest was simultaneously lighthearted and dark, comedic and dramatic, all the while laudable.

Written in 1610-11, and generally agreed to be Shakespeare's last play, The Tempest is a romance for the ages, and has been adapted to a plethora of mediums, from Tchaikovsky's orchestration to Percy Bysshe Shelley's poetry. Banished from her beloved Milan, Duchess Prospera (Kelleen Moriarty) attempts, through magic, to return to her home once again. A true romance, it follows the love story of Ferdinand (VeiVei Thomas) and Miranda (Grace Owen), but, true to Shakespeare, more plotlines converge along the way, combining themes of love and forgiveness with the magical atmosphere that's seemingly synonymous with Shakespeare's writing.

No matter how great the actor's diction or enunciation, Shakespeare's scripts are difficult to decipher, so understanding the show is dependent on physical characterization. Slouching and squatting across the stage, a perfect example in The Tempest was the monster Caliban, played by the brilliant Kerstin Shimkin. Her movements were beautifully connected to her dialogue, portraying an emotional commitment that made her a joy to watch. Equally fantastic in emotional connection was Prospera (Kelleen Moriarty), whose maternal connection with her daughter, Miranda, was wonderfully juxtaposed by her domineering and regal attitude towards Caliban and the Ariels.

The delightful ensemble, composed of three different groups, was equally as exciting and mythical as the leads. The Ariels stood out immediately. Originally written as a single role, the two fairies, played by Cori Williams and Diana Smith, were stunning in their synchronicity. Along with their entwined lines and mirrored movements, Williams and Smith enthralled audiences with ethereal song and fluid dance. The drunkards, played by Jeeho Ha (Trinculo) and Mary Kate Gould (Stephano), were equally terrific in their physical mannerisms and comedic timing. The interactions between Ha and Gould were comedic gold, eliciting uproarious laughter from the charmed audience.

Enhancing the mythical and whimsical aesthetic were the beautifully constructed and painted sets. Though completely stationary, the simplistic design complimented the magnificently artistic decoration; each rock and leaf were works of art. The lighting design, though designed by adults, was especially eye-catching. The rainbows and shadows cast on the backdrop effectively represented the emotion on the stage in any given scene.

A magnificent entwining of brilliant physical embodiment and an ethereal and mythological story, The Madeira School delighted and enthralled audiences with a powerfully magical production, bringing fresh life to the amorous story written by Shakespeare hundreds of years ago.