In March of 2016, Carthage College staged a new production entitled the Breath of Stars, which was advertised as a modern adaption of Shakespeare’s the Tempest. In the same month, the College of Lake County offered a traditional performance of the Tempest, which served as an excellent means by which to evaluate the relative proximity of Carthage’s production to Shakespeare’s original text. This essay will begin with a detailed description of the College of Lake County’s production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest with the goal of evaluating the traditional and nontraditional elements of the show. Subsequently, the similarities and differences between CLC’s the Tempest and Carthage’s the Breathe of Stars will be considered in order to generate
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In truth, the differences between these two productions far outnumber the similarities. First of all, the plotline of the Breathe of Stars had no tangible connection to the Tempest. Rather, it focused on a young woman (Ariel) who had lost her love (Prospero), but was still attempting to connect with him via digital interface. Ultimately, the only elements of Shakespeare’s story utilized in this production were the names of characters and locations (at least according to the current reviewers understanding). The Tempest involves shipwrecks, attempted murders, magical spells, and comic drunken characters; all of which were absent from the Breath of …show more content…
As mentioned above, both the Breath of Stars and the Tempest are written in a very challenging language (i.e., free verse and Shakespearean English) that has the potential to alienate audience members if not delivered in an accessible manner. Furthermore, each production involves many characters occupying the stage at one time and conversing in very rapid succession. In truth, each of these shows was made successful by a skilled cast of actors that completely bought in to their respective characters and storylines. In terms of the Breathe of Stars, the cast skillfully mastered the art of ensemble playing and presented realistic character interactions. For example, when multiple Ariels occupied the stage there was no single actress that attempted to upstage or overpower the others. Rather, each actress had a firm understanding of her specific role within the greater work as a whole, which allowed for a precise execution of each scene. Also, each Ariel was able to create a distinct character whose motion and conversation was extremely lifelike. The second Ariel (i.e., the primary digital Ariel) was much more outspoken and self-assured than the primary Ariel, who took on a more sullen/depressed disposition. Nevertheless, these divergent character types interacted with one another to create a full picture of “Ariel” as
In truth, the differences between these two productions far outnumber the similarities. First of all, the plotline of the Breathe of Stars had no tangible connection to the Tempest. Rather, it focused on a young woman (Ariel) who had lost her love (Prospero), but was still attempting to connect with him via digital interface. Ultimately, the only elements of Shakespeare’s story utilized in this production were the names of characters and locations (at least according to the current reviewers understanding). The Tempest involves shipwrecks, attempted murders, magical spells, and comic drunken characters; all of which were absent from the Breath of …show more content…
As mentioned above, both the Breath of Stars and the Tempest are written in a very challenging language (i.e., free verse and Shakespearean English) that has the potential to alienate audience members if not delivered in an accessible manner. Furthermore, each production involves many characters occupying the stage at one time and conversing in very rapid succession. In truth, each of these shows was made successful by a skilled cast of actors that completely bought in to their respective characters and storylines. In terms of the Breathe of Stars, the cast skillfully mastered the art of ensemble playing and presented realistic character interactions. For example, when multiple Ariels occupied the stage there was no single actress that attempted to upstage or overpower the others. Rather, each actress had a firm understanding of her specific role within the greater work as a whole, which allowed for a precise execution of each scene. Also, each Ariel was able to create a distinct character whose motion and conversation was extremely lifelike. The second Ariel (i.e., the primary digital Ariel) was much more outspoken and self-assured than the primary Ariel, who took on a more sullen/depressed disposition. Nevertheless, these divergent character types interacted with one another to create a full picture of “Ariel” as