review by Norah Vawter

Round House Theatre’s version of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s an outlandish, illusory spectacle, with stage magic performed so seamlessly it appears to be real. Produced in collaboration with Folger Theatre, this production was adapted and directed by Aaron Posner and famed magician Teller. You may know Teller as the small and always silent partner in the famous stage magic duo Penn and Teller. If you know anything about The Tempest, you know it’s about magic, illusions, and our tenuous relation to reality. Utilizing the elaborate illusions of modern stage magic makes perfect sense here, thematically.

But trickery is only one part of the total experience, which includes an elaborate set, original music by Tom Waits, and a myriad of sound and visual effects that create an ambiance of mystery, excitement, fantasy, and chaos. Actors run up and down the aisles at times. There’s a lot going on here, and I wondered if the cast and crew could pull off such an ambitious, larger-than-life adaptation of The Tempest—which happens to be one of Shakespeare’s trickier plays to produce. And yet, they’ve succeeded. All these disparate elements form something new. Indeed, it’s awesome, in the true sense of the word. This Tempest inspires awe.

Shakespeare’s Tempest begins with chaos and confusion, as a ship is caught in a storm near a remote island that seems unpopulated but is actually full of spirits and oddities. Our central character Prospero (Eric Hissom) has conjured this storm to wreck the ship and bring his enemies to him. Betrayed by his brother years ago, he found refuge on this island with his daughter Miranda (Megan Graves). Now, shipwrecked passengers wash ashore, including his treacherous brother Antonio (Cody Nickell) and his other enemy Alonso, King of Naples (Kenyatta Rogers). They’re all at the mercy of Prospero’s magic and the spirit Ariel, a powerful entity bound in service to the magician.

Working with magic consultants, Nate Dendy and Ryan Phillips, Teller has created an amazing spectacle, wielding illusions that seem real and yet impossible. A body levitating. Another disappearing. An actor’s body seemingly contorted into impossible shapes. And lots of smaller sleights of hand. It’s a fun show. But what’s really impressive isn’t the trickery. It’s the way the illusions weave seamlessly into the play. Magic isn’t a gimmick. It’s one of many art forms joining forces.

Daniel Conway, the scenic designer, deserves much credit for The Tempest’s elaborate set, which allows characters to run up a staircase to higher levels, or disappear behind a curtain into shadows. There’s a sense of space around and behind the stage, of this island being a larger place that hides secrets. A sense that reality, itself, is always shifting.

But equal credit should go to Thom Weaver, lighting designer, and Andre Pluess, sound designer. The sound, lighting, and effects work together to create an ambiance that draws in the audience. You are both within the story—caught up in this strange world—and also aware of your place on the outside.

A stage band, perched high on a ledge above the main stage, offers commentary and interact with the players below. Vocalists Lizzie Hagstedt and Kanysha Williams’ big, soulful voices weave into the production’s emotional tapestry.

Standout performances among the actors include Megan Graves playing Prospero’s daughter Miranda with a range of childlike wonder and newfound womanhood, switching between earnestness and a wild gleam in her eye. Graves and Ro Boddie, who plays the King’s son Ferdinand, have sweet, authentic chemistry as young lovers. Another highlight is magic consultant Nate Dendy playing Ariel. His version of the spirit is truly otherworldly—pale, ghostlike, fleeting.

Actors Hassiem Muhammad and Ryan Sellers manage a difficult acrobatic feat as the two men play one character: Caliban, the island’s only native inhabitant. Together they are Caliban, a four-armed, four-legged being, flipping around and moving with a strange grace, but also speaking as one. They imbue their shared character with a raw, fiery vulnerability. Pilobolus, the choreographer, has done a masterful job here.

Eric Hissom is quite good as Prospero, and plays him as a conflicted man, torn between vengeance, sadness, and wistfulness. But I thought the showmanship of this production did a disservice to Hissom’s Prospero at times, the spectacle distracting us from understanding this complex character.

What sometimes gets lost in the extravaganza of Round House’s Tempest is an emotional connection between the audience and the characters we’re watching. There’s so much happening—the illusions, the sounds, the music, all larger than life—this can limit the actors’ abilities to reach us. But towards the end, we find Prospero alone on stage, speaking intimately to the audience, laying himself bare. It’s quiet. No effects. Just an actor finding the bones of his character. In that moment, I felt how deep Prospero’s pain and ambition ran. I would have liked more such moments. 

Overall, this company pulled off an ambitious production of one of Shakespeare’s most difficult plays with smarts, style, and flair. The disparate elements really do create one cohesive whole. It’s also messy, but I think that’s intentional and correct. Posner and Teller are tapping into the chaos, confusion, and illusion at the heart of The Tempest. And they’re having a ball.

Running Time: Approximately two and a half hours, with one intermission.

Patrons may arrive up to 90 minutes before showtime to enjoy food and drink at the Fourth Wall Bar & Café, which serves a menu thematically linked to each production. View The Tempest’s menu here.

Masks are required for all guests, regardless of vaccination status, except while eating or drinking in the lobby café area. 

The Tempest runs through January 15, 2023, at Round House Theatre—4545 East-West Highway, in Bethesda, MD. For tickets, call (240) 644-1100 or purchase them online. 

Norah Vawter is DCTRENDING’s local authors editor. She has an M.F.A. in creative writing from George Mason and is querying her first novel. She lives with her family in Northern Virginia. Follow her on Twitter @norahvawter, where she shares words and works of D.C. area writers every Friday.