The Tempest presented by Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall

The Tempest

Sidney Harman Hall
610 F Street NW Washington

Widely considered one of Shakespeare's greatest works, The Tempest is a lyrical play that tells the story of Prospero, an exiled duke who lives as the master of an enchanted isle where fantastical creatures, mystery, music and romance abound. A shipwreck delivers Prospero's enemies to the island, and the plot thickens when his beloved daughter falls for the enemy's son. It's a magical tale about the transformative power of forgiveness and the bond between parent and child. This great story has inspired all kinds of adaptations, from poetry and paintings to operas and films like Forbidden Planet.

Presented by Shakespeare Theatre Company

Thru - Jan 18, 2015

Price: $55-$110

Running Time: 2 Hrs, 10 mins;one intermission

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The Tempest Reviews

Average Rating based on 6 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

"...Sleekly assembled and easy on the eyes, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s new “The Tempest” is a highly enjoyable rendering of Shakespeare’s late romance and one of the warmer productions to brighten the confines of Sidney Harman Hall."

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- Peter Marks

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

"...This Tempest, at the Shakespeare Theatre, Company is full of breathtaking imagery. Ariel (Sofia Jean Gomez) flies here, there and everywhere with the grace and ease of a ballerina. The three goddesses in the masque, Ceres, Iris, and Juno, appear as huge puppets, beautiful, strange, and frightening. The lovely Voice of Nancy Anderson adds richness and charm to the goddess’s scenes. The mysterious banquet table vanishing in the twinkle of an eye; the thunder, lightning, and mayhem of the storm; the solemn faces of the ensemble as they parade in giant headdresses; all capture the shimmering mystery at the heart of Shakespeare’s play; wondrous, evanescent, and full of deep meaning."

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- Sophia Howes

Washington City Paper - Recommended

"...The play innovates primarily with spectacle, and such spectacle there is. McSweeny and STC are drawn foremost to that magnetic central metaphor of the island as grand stage. The magisterial imagery includes a stage-filling puppet show, a feast that drops from the ceiling and continues through the floor, and a frightening voice-distorted Ariel in black robes suspended in midair. The best mark of The Tempest’s success might be how Prospero turns our gazes ever heavenward, even when the action is on the ground. Something miraculous could happen at any moment."

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- Andrew Lapin

The Georgetowner - Recommended

"...Director Ethan McSweeny manages to pull quite a bit of the play’s rich diversity together in his bewitchingly engaging production now at the Shakespeare Theatre Company at the Sidney Harman Hall. He seems at one with the central character of Prospero, a much wronged duke and self-taught, powerful wizard holding sway over a barren island, in the sense that there’s a feeling of enchantment and spells over this production."

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- Gary Tischler

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...McSweeny beautifully integrates the actors, the set (including two levels of boxes on the sides of the stage), puppets, dance ensemble, and light and sound effects to produce magic of his own. For all that, not as much excitement was generated as might have expected. What also appeared to be lacking was a holistic view of the themes; I wondered what Shakespeare was trying to tell us, despite having read and seen the play before."

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- Barbara Trainin Blank

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

STC’s The Tempest is delightfully artful from beginning to end, employing both modesty and spectacle to best effect, from the gorgeous backdrop illustrating the eponymous storm at sea to the sculptural desert isle set, the low comedy of the fools to the sprite Ariel’s high-flying act.

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- Roy Maurer

The Tempest Photo Gallery

The Tempest presented by Shakespeare Theatre Company at Sidney Harman Hall

The Tempest

The Tempest Reviews

Washington Post - Highly Recommended

DC Theater Arts - Highly Recommended

Washington City Paper - Recommended

The Georgetowner - Recommended

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

DCTheatreScene - Highly Recommended

The Tempest Photo Gallery

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