Shakespeare@
Jersey City’s Premier Classical Theater Company
presents
The All-Free Radio Play
In Four Parts

THE TEMPEST
By William Shakespeare

Episode Two
October 8, 2020 7 p.m.

www.shakespeare-at.org

Adapted & Directed by Artistic Director SEAN HAGERTY
Original Music: JOAN MELTON
Sound Design: DAN GERHARD & ELLEN FITTON

Featuring
DAVID HARGREAVES, MARIA-CHRISTINA OLIVERAS, JONATHAN FORBES,
JAMIE BALLARD, THOMAS ALDRIDGE, DEREK WILSON, ARIA SHAGHASEMI,
ANDREW SELLON, & KEITH HAMILTON COBB

Shakespeare@ drags us deeper into the ebbs and flows of the island’s plotters. Antonio and Sebastian discuss the merits of killing their sleeping companions. Antonio pushes hard for the goal line. With the others dead, he argues, Sebastian will become ruler of Naples. Wizardry disrupts their planning session. They will have to resume discussions later.

While this episode does push the story forward, the standout portion is the insane drunken party. Shakespeare’s version of The Three Stooges if they were blotto. Audiences then and now love a wild whacky scene of “drunk and stupid”. The man/monster, Caliban, is hauling wood when he sees Trinculo. He quickly hides under his cloak. Trinculo, the court jester, toddles in. It’s going to rain, so Trinculo crawls under the cloak, too, despite Caliban’s hideous appearance and nasty smell. The third arrival is Stephano, King Alonso’s butler, drunk (as usual) and singing. He takes a seat besides his new pals and offers them a drink.

Oh, the insults, stupidity, and rowdyism increase exponentially as the wine is passed around. Now these three Einsteins hatch a plot to make Stephano king of the island. What could go wrong?

JONATHAN FORBES (Caliban), THOMAS ALDRIDGE (Trinculo), and JAMIE BALLARD (Stephano) rock this episode. They are “ridiculously” good.

Part Three will air on October 15.

-Karen D’Onofrio-