The Tempest images
The upstage tree continues to take shape. It contains pretty near a bolt of muslin. Painting the fabric turns out to be as much of a pain as everyone expected. Ariel, the other Spirits and at least one Sin (I'm pretty sure it is Zack as Murder) create a lot of traffic up and down the tree.
I said in an earlier entry that this would have kind of a Cretaceous look, and that is checking out. Designer Tom loves that Alexander Calder, and he's made the branches and leaves in mobile fashion. (Some of the branches are already brown, others still unpainted.)
At right is a photo of our poster, displayed in its glass-fronted case. (You can just ignore the faint reflections of overhead lighting in the glass.)
For those of you who are following along in your Arden edition of The Tempest: No, there are no Sins in the "original" play, as such. No choral songs either. Our adaptation includes a gang of Spirits who work their charms by singing them. The Davenant and Dryden contributions to the script are significant, as are the original settings by Will (not that Will). Director Steven and dramaturg Fran worked over the play for months, and we are now drawing close to the point of not getting new pages every week. We did a runthrough Friday (the 8th); costumes will come in starting Monday, thanks to our tireless costumer Tamara. The sorcerer's Book of spells is the last major piece Tom must build; who needs computer-generated imagery when a computer fan can automatically turn the pages?
Rehearsals are increasingly strenuous, but the show begins to cohere at last. So far only one serious injury, and that was only to Caliban, who's supposed to be asymmetrical anyway. Prospero fears that the Eye of Ra, which Steven has stuck on the top of his staff, will endanger his real eye; keep visiting this site to see a picture of the staff and other props, coming soon.
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