• Home
  • About April
  • Portfolio
    • Directing >
      • Community-Engaged Productions
      • Devised Work
      • Theatre-in-Education
    • Teaching >
      • Classroom Instructor
      • Teaching Artist
    • Training >
      • Pre-service
      • In-service
    • Writing >
      • Articles
      • Plays
      • Poems
    • Arkansas Artist Roster
  • Press
April Gentry-Sutterfield

(dis)spelling the tempest:  a subversive mashup

7/8/2012

0 Comments

 
We started with The Tempest and ended with The Tempest....only different.  The AGS 2012 drama final performance was (dis)spelling the tempest:  a subversive mashup.  For two days, I gave the students all kinds of random writing prompts:  write as a character, write about one of the themes using water imagery, write a poem, etc.  I then took their writing and spliced it with The Tempest to make a new play, hence the "mashup" subtitle.  One week later, we performed for a warm and receptive AGS student body.

In our version, the story is similar to the original until Miranda and Ferdinand meet.  Ferdinand and Miranda do still swear their love for each other, but Sycorax returns and casts a (dis)spell to reveal Ferdinand’s true feelings to Miranda.  Enraged by Sycorax’s (dis)spell, Prospero takes revenge on Sycorax’s son, Caliban, through Stephano and Trinculo’s bullying.  Sycorax frees Ariel from Prospero and then uses Ariel to free Caliban through a dream.  Prospero feels unsatisfied in his quest for revenge, so Caliban offers wisdom that prompts Prospero to receive a ritualistic cleansing from Sycorax.  Sycorax then reveals the heartbroken Miranda, whom Prospero comforts.   Sycorax and Prospero forgive each other, and all is well.  


Pedagogically, this process didn't allow the students as much ownership over the direction of the final work as in previous years.  In the past, I've always divided students into groups in which they devised ten minute plays on various topics.  Although some groups were very successful with this format, others were not.  This year's mode guaranteed a greater feeling of success across the board even though I exerted more creative control.  In terms of acting, I really enjoyed watching students who had played a scene one way during our processional, play the same scene in a completely different context this time.  For instance, when we performed The Tempest processional, we played the Stephano/Caliban/Trinculo scene for comedy as it was originally written.  In our version, we were able to bring out the postcolonial undercurrents by playing the same scene as a moment of cruel bullying instigated by Prospero.  

I must say I was very pleased with this project.  I simply can't do work like this in any other setting.  These students are special, and I am blessed (and I am not one to throw that word around) to have had the opportunity to work with them.  
Picture
The shipwreck victims in the middle of Prospero's storm.
Picture
The very talented Emily Freeman wrote and played "Bound" beneath Prospero's explanation to Miranda of how they arrived on the island.
Picture
Prospero steals Ariel.
Picture
Prospero kills Sycorax.
Picture
Antonio comes ever so close to killing King Alonso.
Picture
Love at first sight for Miranda and Ferdinand...only in this version Sycorax casts a (dis)spell to reveal Ferdinand's true motives to Mirand
Picture
Stephano and Trinculo force Caliban to drink.  In the original, this scene is comedic.  In our "subversive mashup," we played this as a bullying scene.
Picture
We see Sycorax give birth to Caliban inside Caliban's dream--through which dream she later saves him.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Current Work

    About the Author:  April Gentry-Sutterfield is a director, deviser, educator, and mom who uses theatre as a tool for social justice, education, and community engagement.


    Contact April at april@aprilgentry-sutterfield.com.

    Archives

    August 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    Categories

    All
    Arkadelphia
    Arkansas Governor's School
    Arkansas Teen College
    Art And Science Center Of Southeast Arkansas
    Bentonville
    Bullying
    Cabot
    Choosing Sides
    Community-engagement
    Conway
    Creative Arts Playgroup
    Dawson Educational Coop
    Devising
    Eastside Elementary School
    Healthy Choices
    Hendrix College
    Horace Mann
    Horace Mann Middle School
    Improv
    Interactive Theatre
    Laman Library
    Lily And The Aple Seed
    Lily And The Apple Seed
    Little Rock
    Mosaic Templars
    North Little Rock
    Pine Bluff
    Playwrighting
    Production
    Pulaski Technical College
    Rehearsal
    Rehearsals
    Safeplaces
    Teaching
    Theatre In Education
    Theatre-in-education
    Trike Theatre
    Upcoming Project
    Wildwood

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.