• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

East West Players A new adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” is now being performed by the Asian Pacific American theater company The East West Players through Dec. 15.

In Elizabethan times, Shakespeare’s plays, with their puns and other linguistic manipulations, appealed to the ear. Today, Shakespeare’s language challenges the modern ear and often inhibits understanding of his plays.

To remedy this, the East West Players seek to promote a visceral experience with a visual production of “The Tempest,” now playing through Dec. 15. The revamping of the classic play uses visuals such as non-traditional costumes and martial arts movements to accentuate and clarify the spoken word.

East West Players is an Asian Pacific American Theatre company that focuses on Asian themes in its production. The Bard’s tale follows Prospero, a sorcerer, banished with his daughter to an enchanted island. The new adaptation by director Andrew Tsao takes the classic, and brings it to life using Eastern theatrical styles in choreography, costumes and music.

Tsao said he sees the stage as a lab in which to experiment with Shakespeare’s plays, and make them more readable and meaningful for the actors and the audience.

“I find a disconnection amongst the actor, the audience and Shakespeare,” said Tsao. “(But) the text is more dramatically expressive when the actors move a certain way.”

Daniel Kim, who plays Prospero, believes Shakespeare’s plays traditionally favor speech over action, but feels that body language clarifies the verbal language.

“(Physical movement) communicates more effectively Shakespeare’s words and intentions,” Kim said.

Tsao and the East West Players worked with a choreographer from Louisiana. All the actors have a background in martial arts so the choreographer, director and actors borrowed from the discipline to create the body language for the play.

For the all Asian American cast and crew, interpreting martial arts movements and incorporating their heritage into the performance was a way to personalize a tale of Western culture.

In the opening scene, as Miranda speaks to her father on the deserted island, Prospero’s movements look like Tai-Chi, standing in a wide stance and circling his arms as if drawing in and pushing out energy.

The players also use undated costumes and a timeless setting to show that the themes Shakespeare focused upon reverberate across cultures and throughout generations.

Prospero, for example, wears dark pants with gold splashes and a long black coat with a purple velvet sash.

“We want to emphasize the timeless, universal themes,” said Kim. “We want the audience to see that Shakespeare isn’t so foreign.”

Infusing words into their body, and using cross-cultural genres, the players are aiming to create a production that penetrates and entertains all audiences.

“What Shakespeare says is so huge and hard to understand, we must use every part of our bodily instrument to convey meaning ... and create an enjoyable experience,” said Kim.