By Reagan Feld, Sadie Finn, and Alexis Larsen
Each new school year brings the start of fall sports, clubs, and the fall play. This year, the T.C. Williams drama department will be presenting The Tempest in the middle of November. The play will put a modern spin on one of Shakespeare’s classics about a man and his daughter who get stranded on an enchanted island. The play explores the themes of revenge, love, and power.
Hope E. Bachman-Miller, Executive Director, works alongside Executive Producer Leslie A. Jones. The Student Director is Annlouise Conrad and the Student Stage Manager is Paul Holtz. According to Conrad, the play will feature “a bit of romance, and a bit of fun.”
Conrad was inspired by the play’s first performance at The Globe, the theatre in London where Shakespeare’s plays were often performed. She noted that the original play featured many special effects that enhanced the performance, and although T.C. does not have access to the same elements that Shakespeare did, Conrad drew inspiration from the original. “The theme of this year was to go out of the box,” she said.
The drama department also adopted a timeless interpretation of the play. Conrad said, “usually, when people do Shakespeare, it’s in a specific time period. What we are doing is out of time, and we are focusing on the island.”
All of the performances will be located at the T.C. Williams King Street Campus Auditorium. The performance dates for The Tempest are:
- Friday, November 10 at 7:30 p.m
- Saturday, November 11 at 2:00 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m
- Tuesday, November 14 at 4:00 p.m.
The price for adults is $15, and for ACPS Staff, Students, and Senior Citizens it is $10 for each show. The only exception is on Tuesday, November 14, when student tickets will only cost $5.
Conrad said, “Get ready for spirits, demons, and gays, oh my!”