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Galati, Smith, et al. Set for Steppenwolf's <i>The Tempest</i> - 11:57AM on 4/02/2009
As a season ticket holding Steppenwolf subscriber and general fan of all things theater, I have seen and read my fair share of Shakespeare. Most of it has been decent, some of it excellent and sadly some of it quite terrible. So, when I heard that, for the first time in its 33 year history, Steppenwolf Theater would be staging a work of Shakespeare I certainly didnt think it would fall into the "terrible" category. Unfortunately, tonights performance of The Tempest at Steppenwolf did just that.
I am of the opinion that several hundred year old classic works of theater should not be messed around with. I personally believe that if they have managed to stand the test of time there is no director that can improve on the text as they were written. Therefore, when I see a director modernize one of Shakespeares plays it always makes me cringe. Theres no need to set it in modern times, change the dialogue or include weird audio/visual techniques. About the only modernization I am okay with is allowing women to participate.
Putting aside my personal feelings on updating Shakespeare, Steppenwolfs attempt to modernize The Tempest was half-hearted at best. There were sporadic and unnecessary moments where grainy video was projected on the stage yet added no value to the performance. Ariel and his fellow spirits belayed into scenes and trounced about performing, what can only be described as, a highly amateur rendition of Cirque de Soleil. The most disappointing artistic decision was to have Ariel occasionally playing with his MacBook, presumably accessing his iTunes playlist "bad techno"; the worst moment came in Act II when Ferdinand and Miranda were given permission to wed and the spirits appeared in bedazzled costumes and danced to this techno music among a sea of giant hanging flowers. The only thing that was missing was glo-sticks and ecstasy tablets.
The real tragedy of the night was the acting. It was heart-breaking to see the incredibly talented actors who comprise the ensemble of Steppenwolf struggling to make it through Shakespeares text. Over the course of 33 years Steppenwolf has recruited and groomed actors who are exceptionally gifted in giving dramatic, comedic, inspiring, thought-provoking performances however they have not groomed these actors to understand the special pacing and nuance required to do justice to Shakespeare. To watch someone as amazing as Frank Galati a Tony Award Winner stumble and forget lines made me both nervous and embarrassed for him and the company. Though, he was not alone, at every turn there were foibles, missed steps and odd phrasing that only highlighted how unprepared these actors were to take on The Tempest.
The bright spot in the night was Jon Michael Hill who played Ariel, Prosperos spirit servant. He was able to rise above the unfortunate directives he was given to still shine in a way none of the other actors were able to do. His familiarity with Shakespeare was clear in every line delivered and gesture made. It was painful to see such a clear Shakespearean talent having to dance to techno music, don ridiculous sunglasses while typing on his Mac and zip-lining into the foreground.
I hope that Steppenwolf has learned its lesson and while stick to the types of plays that have given it its deserved reputation. August: Osage County, Art, Endgame, Grapes of Wrath - these are the plays that the have made the careers of so many talented actors. Continuing to perform works of Shakespeare without the proper training can only lead to more unhappy theater-goers.
I would encourage anyone intending to make the pilgrimage to Steppenwolf in the next few months to skip The Tempest and opt, instead, for Art which is a thoughtful and well-acted study on friendship and the importance thereof.
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