STAGE REVIEW : A Mighty ‘Tempest’ Brewing : Alternative Repertory Conjures a Visually Stunning Production

The first element to admire in the Alternative Repertory Theatre production of “The Tempest” is its ambition. In a small room that can legally accommodate no more than 70 people, director Patricia L. Terry has striven to bring to life a magical isle replete with spirits, monsters, shipwrecks and the language of Shakespeare.

Although her actors remain earthbound, Terry’s enchanted island is a place of wonder and delight. A mossy throne climbs center stage, roots threading out from it like veins. Canopied treetops crown slender poles and exotic mushrooms glow mysteriously from gnarled crevices. Designer D. Silvio Volonte has conjured a full palette of verdant colors and inviting textures, and the action travels through his set with natural ease.

As the play unfolds, it is evident that director Terry has labored long and lovingly to coordinate the physical aspects of this remarkably complete production design. Her liquid staging is expertly punctuated by Marco A. Ocampo’s original score and Gary Christensen’s animated sound effects. David C. Palmer’s atmospheric lighting transcends the confines of the room and bewitches with its whimsical details. The graceful costumes by Wilma Mickler-Sears are evocative and boldly theatrical, and the makeup and masks by Gary Christensen are fabulous inventions, seamlessly transmogrifying human faces without sacrificing expressiveness.

The drama itself has sustained a major gender change, in that Prospero has become Prospera, and Gonzalo, Gonzala. Prospera arrives without much difficulty: a few changed references are required here and there, but the lonely, omnipotent magician plays very naturally as a matriarch.

Gonzala presents more of a problem. Who is this old woman traveling dangerous distances alone in a company of men? What is her relationship to the entourage? In spite of Amy Larson’s earnest efforts, Gonzala’s femaleness feels forced and awkward, and the murkiness undermines what might have played as a wonderful subcurrent of feminine wisdom.

Cindy Hanks makes a regal Prospera, and Paula K. Long’s Ariel moves as effortlessly as her name would suggest. Greg Izay turns in the most textured performance as the tortured Caliban. Woody Bixby and Jeff R.W. Stevens prove once again that Shakespeare’s irresistible clowns can stand up under the broadest comic strokes.

The principal stumbling block of the production is its neglect of the emotional work that is always the true human tale under any text. Comic opportunities and character revelations are thrown aside in the focus on communicating the story and making sense of that troublesome Shakespearean tongue. Miranda’s wonder at the strange new creatures called men, Ariel’s quixotic spells and explosive hunger for freedom, and especially Prospera’s essential struggle to rise above revenge--these, among others, are elements still waiting to be explored.

The story, however, is clearly communicated, the text is sensibly spoken and the physical production is so utterly charming that ART’s “Tempest” is well worth the trip.

‘The Tempest’

An Alternative Repertory Theatre production of Shakespeare’s fantasy. Directed by Patricia L. Terry. With Cindy Hanks, Sarah Lang, Paula K. Long, Greg Izay, William Peters, Dick Harris, Amy Larson, Todd Gibson, Randy Fine, Woody Bixby and Jeff R.W. Stevens. Scenic design by D. Silvio Volonte. Lighting design by David C. Palmer. Costume design by Wilma Mickler-Sears. Sound and makeup design by Gary Christensen. Original music by Marco A. Ocampo. Performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m. through June 13. At Alternative Repertory Theatre, 1636 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana.$12.50 to $15. (714) 836-7929.