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Upper School Production of The Tempest Opens

Upper School students present Shakespeare’s The Tempest on the RSPA Panther Hall/Roberts Stage.
Upper School students presented Shakespeare’s The Tempest on the RSPA Panther Hall/Roberts Stage November 13-15. View the full cast list here.

Below, Performing Arts Chair and Play Director John Doyle provides a take on why this Shakespearean tragedy was chosen for this fall’s upper school production.

The Tempest may be my favorite comedy by Shakespeare.

The Tempest is about sin and redemption, revenge, mercy, and magic, but, ultimately it is about forgiveness. The progress of the play is very distinct; Prospero’s movement from a state of anger and need for revenge to forgiveness, acceptance and peace. It is the exploration of the forgiveness and peace we hope Ariel and Caliban have when released from slavery. In addition to the profundity of its central theme, it is a play rich with magic, love, melodrama and some of the funniest scenes Shakespeare ever wrote all weaving around that one idea: forgiveness and peace.

The Tempest is a play I have visited four times as a director, twice as a director here at Ranney. It was the first production I directed here at Ranney 15 years ago. I chose the play then because of its rich text, variety of characters, flexibility for nontraditional casting and themes easily grasped by young performers—all important because I didn’t know my performers and they didn’t know me. Most of those reasons are true for this production as well, but, because the stable of Ranney performers have developed greater skills, it also now allows for greater depth of study. I wanted to explore Prospero’s relationship with Miranda and Antonio from a feminine angle so you will meet Prospera and Antonia. I also wanted Ariel to have a truly ethereal quality so you will see Ariel in four elemental forms as well as flying puppets and you will hear her speak in multiple voices. I wanted the students to explore the physical comedy of Trinculo and Stephano.

Mostly, I hope the performers will reflect on that central theme of forgiveness and peace and let that lesson become a life lesson.
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Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
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