Theater group updates Shakespeare’s “˜The Tempest’ with an Asian twist

In Elizabethan times, Shakespeare’s plays, with their puns
and other linguistic manipulations, appealed to the ear. Today,
Shakespeare’s language challenges the modern ear and often
inhibits understanding of his plays.

To remedy this, the East West Players seek to promote a visceral
experience with a visual production of “The Tempest,”
now playing through Dec. 15. The revamping of the classic play uses
visuals such as non-traditional costumes and martial arts movements
to accentuate and clarify the spoken word.

East West Players is an Asian Pacific American Theatre company
that focuses on Asian themes in its production. The Bard’s
tale follows Prospero, a sorcerer, banished with his daughter to an
enchanted island. The new adaptation by director Andrew Tsao takes
the classic, and brings it to life using Eastern theatrical styles
in choreography, costumes and music.

Tsao said he sees the stage as a lab in which to experiment with
Shakespeare’s plays, and make them more readable and
meaningful for the actors and the audience.

“I find a disconnection amongst the actor, the audience
and Shakespeare,” said Tsao. “(But) the text is more
dramatically expressive when the actors move a certain
way.”

Daniel Kim, who plays Prospero, believes Shakespeare’s
plays traditionally favor speech over action, but feels that body
language clarifies the verbal language.

“(Physical movement) communicates more effectively
Shakespeare’s words and intentions,” Kim said.

Tsao and the East West Players worked with a choreographer from
Louisiana. All the actors have a background in martial arts so the
choreographer, director and actors borrowed from the discipline to
create the body language for the play.

For the all Asian American cast and crew, interpreting martial
arts movements and incorporating their heritage into the
performance was a way to personalize a tale of Western culture.

In the opening scene, as Miranda speaks to her father on the
deserted island, Prospero’s movements look like Tai-Chi,
standing in a wide stance and circling his arms as if drawing in
and pushing out energy.

The players also use undated costumes and a timeless setting to
show that the themes Shakespeare focused upon reverberate across
cultures and throughout generations.

Prospero, for example, wears dark pants with gold splashes and a
long black coat with a purple velvet sash.

“We want to emphasize the timeless, universal
themes,” said Kim. “We want the audience to see that
Shakespeare isn’t so foreign.”

Infusing words into their body, and using cross-cultural genres,
the players are aiming to create a production that penetrates and
entertains all audiences.

“What Shakespeare says is so huge and hard to understand,
we must use every part of our bodily instrument to convey meaning
… and create an enjoyable experience,” said Kim.