'The Tempest' at Long Beach Playhouse

Date: 
Saturday, September 1, 2018 - 8:00pm to Saturday, September 29, 2018 - 8:00pm

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here" ~William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Long Beach, CA, Trickery, romance, and revenge set the stage for one of William Shakespeare's late masterpieces, in which sprites, goddesses, monsters, and fools hold court. In this fanciful classic that is often described as the darker twin to A Midsummer Night's Dream, a deposed noble turned sorcerer uses powerful magic to raise a great storm, shipwrecking the vessel bearing a group of conspirators onto the sorcerer's mysterious island home. There, attended upon by a daughter, a magical sprite, and a deformed servant, the sorcerer leads their enemies through a mysterious dream as circumstances transform vengeance to reconciliation and forgiveness.

"Shakespeare is timeless," said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse's Executive Director. "We never go too long without producing one of his plays because the themes are timeless and his words give the actors a chance to have fun with the intricacies of the language. Nobody does insults and humor like Shakespeare."

"I'm always attracted to stories that deal with the fragility of justice," said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "In The Tempest we see the injustice of what is done to Prospero, but we also see that Prospero is willing to subjugate others. I find this play to be a morally ambiguous, which is frustrating and yet an honest observation of the realities of life."

Surrounding the poetry and storyline will be the set and the costumes. Donna Fritsche's immense talent will be on full display in the costumes she designs. Along with the Elizabethan splendor of royalty, there are sprites, magicians, a drunken butler and a dead sorceress whose costumes will delight the audiences with their style, wit and beauty. Added to that is a set that will include a ship, and island and dream sequences, we can expect the ingenuity and design expertise to provide a stunning backdrop for the actors and the story.

The 14-member cast is a mix of returning actors and those making their debuts on the Playhouse stage. Returning actors include: Stephen Alan Carver, Hayley Jackson, Lee Samuel Tanng, Holland Renton, Amara Phelps, Stephen Biggs, Alex Shewchuk, and Tyler Gray. Those making their debut are: Jessica Bell, Benjamin White, Gillian Gonzales, La Vonna Miller and Sarah Hoeven.

The director for this show is Mary Shaugh and this is her first show at the Playhouse. Her talents as a director and performer have taken her from New York to Los Angeles. She is an accomplished opera singer with a passion for bringing timeless stories to audiences.

Come and see the show. You'll be glad you did.

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS PLAY:

  • Pay what you can Thursday August 30- community can see this production for whatever they can afford
  • Two for One Preview Friday August 31 - Tickets are $10.00
  • Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on Saturday September 1- Tickets are $27.00

Ticket Pricing: 

Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00

Saturday and Sunday: Adults are $24.00, Seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1. 

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Promotional Design: Daisy Ramirez 

 

Hayley Jackson as Ariel, Stephen Alan Carver as Prospero

 

 


 

Lee Samuel Tanng as Caliban, Alexander Shewchuk as Stephano, Gillian Gonzales as Trincula

 

 

Photography by Mike Hardy

# # #

 

 

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
17 + 2 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Beachcomber

Copyright 2024 Beeler & Associates.

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced or transmitted – by any means – without publisher's written permission.