Prospera: A Sci-Fi Retelling is a fanciful but complicated story in its new production by Otherworld Theatre. The play is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s late play, The Tempest, but you can enjoy it without having seen the Shakespearean version. If you are familiar with The Tempest, however, it’s interesting to compare the characters who appear in both the 500-year-old story and this futuristic version. Prospera is written and directed by Tiffany Keane Schaefer, Otherworld’s artistic director.
Prospera (Stacey Lind) is the admiral of a damaged shuttlecraft named the Tempest; she was betrayed and exiled 20 years earlier, with her infant daughter Miri (Izzi King). As the play begins, Prospera’s Tempest causes an ion storm to damage the Starship Neapolis, commanded by Captain Alon (Hilary Sanzel).
Alon, assisted by Zalos (P-Jay Adams) and her son Dax (Hayden Lane-Davies), tries to save the damaged Neapolis from oblivion. Andarin, the Emissary of the Flotilla’s Tribunal (Jacob Watson), is concerned that the starship’s damage will delay him from his meeting with the Tunisians, who own the Hafsid Trust. The Flotilla, in serious debt to the Tunisian Hafsid Trust, is in danger of fiscal collapse.
Was that last paragraph confusing? Well, it’s confusing if you’re watching the performance too. Playwright Schaefer includes too many plot threads and minutiae in her otherwise interesting story. Why is there a death debt cycle and where is Roma Prime? Why Tunisia? The personal and emotional relationships and themes of love, loyalty and betrayal from Shakespeare’s work are clearly told, but the excessive technological and financial terminology and plot threads are not explained and make the plot hard to follow.
What does work? The acting in general is very good, by all cast members. Dax’s meeting with Miri on the shuttlecraft Tempest and their developing relationship is charming. We enjoyed the excellent performances of both Ariel (Janice Rumschlag) and Kai-Lune/Caliban (Blake Marion Hood), both stunningly costumed, and their relationships with Prospera, as well as Kai-Lune’s attempted betrayal of Prospera with Emissary Andarin.
The scenes with Young Prospera (Sydney Ginter) and her brother Andarin (Jacob Watson) also are a key part of the story. (Why is a second actor cast as Young Prospera but Watson plays Andarin at both ages, without makeup or costume changes?)
Schaefer’s play could succeed as a futuristic production, focusing on the personal stories of Prospera and her late wife Sybil (Janice Rumschlag) and their daughter Miri, as well as the characters of the invading force from the starship and the attempted betrayal of Prospera. The play now runs two hours plus an intermission. Plot redevelopment might trim it down to a brisk 90-minute one-act. Overall, Prospera has promise.
Prospera: A Sci-Fi Retelling is performed with notable production style. Set design, props, sound design and costuming are all well done by Schaefer. Mike McShane is lighting designer. Hayley Wilkinson is stage manager.
The Tempest, written in 1610-11, is considered to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone; it was first performed in 1611 by the King’s Men. The Tempest is the first script that appears in the 1623 First Folio publication of 36 plays by Shakespeare.
Prospera: A Sci-Fi Retelling by Otherworld Theatre continues through February 8 at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont. Running time is about 135 minutes, including one intermission. Tickets and more information are available here.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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