By Jackson Cooperman
Imagine “Forbidden Planet” but the characters speak in the Shakespearean verses, and you have a good idea of what to expect from Eastern New Mexico University’s production of “The Tempest”. Set in the future, the location is space and all dialogue is Early New English translation of the original play. I didn’t know what to expect when I first heard about this production, as the description of a Shakespearean space-theatre didn’t sound possible without the resources and budget of Broadway. However, I attended a first look of the production before opening night on Saturday, February 22, and I must say I was surprised.
I am not familiar with the original play but the plot followed the survivors of a shipwreck on a mysterious island, controlled by Prospero. He uses evil to manipulate and torment them, while his slave, Caliban, battles Prospero’s spirit-servant Ariel, in a chance to be free of his master. Replace the details with science fiction (an island is a planet) and you can assume how it played out.
I had a difficult time keeping track of the plot and I’m unsure why. Possibly due to my disdain of dissecting Shakespeare’s language or because I was so burned out from assisting with drama fest, I didn’t have the patience to try and understand it. I repeatedly tried to listen, but I had no success figuring out what was really happening.
In my opinion, it’s unavoidable to compress such a long play into an hour and 30 minutes without producing some confusion. However, this is not the type of play to enjoy for the plot; you appreciate a play like this for the technical execution. It had stellar production design with the opening scene projecting credits over the closed curtain, referencing “Star Wars”. The costume designs were imaginative and the prop effects were fun to watch. Essentially, you can have a worthwhile time examining the small details even if you don’t care about the story.
Darby Cavanaugh—a regular in many plays and short films for the theatre and DFM department—led the cast as Prospero, in a fantastic performance. Other stars included Kyra Gentry (the 7th grader from Lane Castro’s film “Abducted”), Caleb Ramsell, as well as Professor Jonathan Barr. Director Patrick McCreary did a great job applying the futuristic aesthetic to the story, without it seeming out of place or unnecessary. The last show was Sunday, March 1, and I enjoyed it, not for Shakespeare’s sake, but for the passion and hard work of the Theatre department.
