GW’s Department of Theatre and Dance will be performing William Shakespeare’s The Tempest starting today through Sunday.
The Tempest tells the story of the magician Prospero and his daughter Miranda who are forced to take refuge on an enchanted island after Prospero’s brother, Antonio, usurps his position as duke of Milan.
Prospero uses his powers to create a tempest, or storm, that shipwrecks his brother and other individuals who caused his exile. Antonio and the other people on the boat survive the shipwreck and are washed ashore to the island, where Prospero prepares to take revenge.
But as reimagined in the GW production, Prospero is now Prospera and played by Lorna Mulvaney, a senior in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
“I am playing a character written as a man—a change that creates a whole new dynamic in the play,” says Ms. Mulvaney, a recipient of the Presidential Scholarship in the Arts for acting. “Playing Prospera has allowed me to delve into the relationship I have with my daughter Miranda, my role to the spirits I control on the island and the implications of such intense power in the hands of a woman.”
Clay Hopper, associate artistic director of the Olney Theatre Center in Olney, Md., is guest directing GW’s production of The Tempest. Mr. Hopper has directed the National Players, the classical theater touring component of the Olney Theatre Center, and the center’s Summer Shakespeare Festival. In addition to The Tempest, Mr. Hopper has directed Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet.
“What made this production unique was working with Clay Hopper, this season’s guest director,” says Kayla Knapp, a sophomore in Columbian College, who plays the character Trinculo, a jester on the shipwrecked boat. “He guided us to fit his vision for our characters and the show as a whole, but he also gave us a lot of freedom to explore our individual characters.”
The play will be performed at GW’s Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre on the first floor of the Marvin Center. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday. There will also be a 2 p.m. show on Sunday.
“The production promises to be a stunning look into the magical world of Prospera’s creation,” says Ms. Mulvaney, who is majoring in theatre.
Students and senior citizens can purchase tickets for $10. General admission is $15. Ticket reservations are available online at theatredance.gwu.edu, by calling 202-994-0995 or at the theatre’s box office.
“Everyone in the cast and crew worked really hard, and I think the finished product is incredible,” says Ms. Knapp. “Plus, it’s a perfect show to see on Halloween weekend, as it’s full of sorcery and surprises.”