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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Loved hearing Sir Ian McKellen as Prospero, would give 5 stars for that! Hated all the racism and colonialism. I’ve seen this play so many times and have seen it done beautifully but wow there’s a reason this is one of the problem plays.
Love, please watch the cinematic version for added experience
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
it was fine, my covid brain made the ending confusing but anyway
Another Shakespeare play that surprised me with how much I liked it! This was the easiest to understand out of all the plays I’ve read so far! I loved it! I liked the romance between Miranda and Ferdinand, the magical element, and the happy ending! If I had to recommend people new to Shakespeare, I would probably recommend this one!
4 stars for the play itself, 5 stars when you watch it being performed. So 4.5 stars on average?
I was fortunate to watch a live youtube reading of this play and it brought back memories of when I read this play in college. I don't know that this was one of Shakespeare's best plays, but I very much enjoyed the production (my brother played Caliban and a friend played Prospero) and it made me look up this play for a revisit. Not surprisingly, they had to make some allowances for the youtube/zoom format, and that was pretty interesting, and they also had a couple characters being played by woman as women. But I know Shakespeare himself often made changes for every performance (and sometimes during the performance) as needs changed, so that is perfectly in keeping with what he would have done. Overall, a good story with plenty of funny parts but definitely better when performed.
I was fortunate to watch a live youtube reading of this play and it brought back memories of when I read this play in college. I don't know that this was one of Shakespeare's best plays, but I very much enjoyed the production (my brother played Caliban and a friend played Prospero) and it made me look up this play for a revisit. Not surprisingly, they had to make some allowances for the youtube/zoom format, and that was pretty interesting, and they also had a couple characters being played by woman as women. But I know Shakespeare himself often made changes for every performance (and sometimes during the performance) as needs changed, so that is perfectly in keeping with what he would have done. Overall, a good story with plenty of funny parts but definitely better when performed.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
I have likely read this three times.
The Tempest, with a screen adaptation by Julie Taymor (and countless others - Taymor's is my favorite), is one of those magical stories of Shakepeare's that is cool and also weird at the same time. Miranda is easily one of the best Shakespeare women: independent, confident and sure of herself, but still young and impressionable, which makes her meeting Prince Ferdinand more amusing in terms of relationship building than other female characters in Shakespeare's canon.
I've always loved the drunks Stephano and Trinculo as I have an affinity for playing many of Shakespeare's drunks, but they are always a rip-roaring good time, stumbling over themselves and being the audience's point-of-view for the whole story: what the hell is going on here?!? And where is all the rum?!?! They are a delight as they introduce Caliban to a world he has never or will ever know - Caliban, the ill-used and detained spirit of the island.
Productions that do not lean into the yearning for freedom that Tempest gives textually is robbing you of your coin. Walk out at intermission. Three stars because reading plays for auditions isn't always fun, it's usually analysis.
The Tempest, with a screen adaptation by Julie Taymor (and countless others - Taymor's is my favorite), is one of those magical stories of Shakepeare's that is cool and also weird at the same time. Miranda is easily one of the best Shakespeare women: independent, confident and sure of herself, but still young and impressionable, which makes her meeting Prince Ferdinand more amusing in terms of relationship building than other female characters in Shakespeare's canon.
I've always loved the drunks Stephano and Trinculo as I have an affinity for playing many of Shakespeare's drunks, but they are always a rip-roaring good time, stumbling over themselves and being the audience's point-of-view for the whole story: what the hell is going on here?!? And where is all the rum?!?! They are a delight as they introduce Caliban to a world he has never or will ever know - Caliban, the ill-used and detained spirit of the island.
Productions that do not lean into the yearning for freedom that Tempest gives textually is robbing you of your coin. Walk out at intermission. Three stars because reading plays for auditions isn't always fun, it's usually analysis.