By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)
James Bartelle, a founding member of The NOLA Project, has written a number of original works for the troupe of young, innovative performers through the years. These include their highly imaginative The Spider Queen performed in the outdoor splendor of the New Orleans Museum of Art’s Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden and She Remembers, played out at a Central City yoga studio.
A latter-day Renaissance man, Bartelle has been a director (Romeo and Juliet) and a prominent actor in many of their productions through the years. When he is not working as a writer or director, he is often busy readying colorful canvases as a visual artist.
With so much on his plate, it might seem surprising that he has elected to take on a new writing project, but he has done just that. While writing with a partner might seem somewhat against his grain, Bartelle has found a grounded, perfect companion to his unconventional style: Shakespeare.
An actor who has found great pleasure in delivering the Bard’s lines, Bartelle revisited Shakespeare’s classic tale of sorcery and revenge, The Tempest, and with the exacting blade of his own creativity, removed many of the passages he felt weighed down the plot or today ould be deemed misogynistic, racist or imperial in nature. The realized lighter work runs 90 minutes instead of the typical length of almost three hours.
Obviously, some of the Bard’s poetry is lost in the editing process. But, while the characters executed their actions in a summary fashion, the meatier portions of the play were allowed to take place, unencumbered by weighty exposition. Many of the gags or puns of the original work may have delighted Elizabethan play goers, but they fall flat or lack resonance with a modern audience.
Bartelle helmed the project as its director and in the role of Prospero he cast the NOLA Project’s interim artistic director Monica Harris. Harris has distinguished herself/themselves in several previous company productions and more than rose to the task this turn. In addition to a magical staff Harris added a jarring prosthetic contact lens to emulate the patch traditionally adorned by actors who have played the role.
As Ariel, the spirit bound to Prospero, Leslie Claverie exquisitely sang original music by Alexis Marceau and Stephen MacDonald of Sweet Crude, the popular Louisiana French band. Freed from the witch Sycorax’s entrapment by Prospero, Ariel is unseen and unheard to all but her master. Prospero uses Ariel to be his eyes and ears as well as to do his bidding. Although Ariel is written as a spirit or sprite possessive of overtly male qualities, like many trouser roles fulfilled on stage the part has been played quite frequently by women.
Leslie’s real life husband, Keith Claverie, portrayed Sycorax’s misshapen son, Caliban; as Prospero’s slave he must kowtow to him, but his heart is deeply resentful and full of murderous intent towards his master. Always at the top of his performing game, Keith Claverie donned a mask that suggested the ugliness of his character. He was ultimately befriended by a duo of shipwrecked characters Trinculo and Liana, played respectively by Ashley Ricord Santos and Kristin Witt. Both Santos and Witt are outstanding actors in their own right, but to have all three work with one another upped each other’s game.
Jessica Lozano delivered another compelling performance as the King, who Prospero confronts for having deprived him of his title and homeland. Khiry Armstead (Antonio), Megan Whittle (Sebastian) and co-artistic director Pamela D. Roberts (Camila) rounded out the ensemble cast of players.
Alexandria Miles also notably portrayed Prospero’s daughter Miranda, who falls in love with Ferdinand, the son of his enemy, played by Zarah Hokule’a Spalding. The smitten Miranda is the eventual means to an end that softens her father’s heart towards the others and allows for a fitting resolution to the play.
Monica Ordonez of the Melange Dance Project added choreography to the work that no so much moved, but propelled the actors into the scenes and in many cases there was a beautiful balletic movement by supporting players about key performers as they spoke their lines.
While the sorcerer’s dark spells were the spark that gave rise to the work, the music and song, the dance and the entrancing performances of the players made this scaled-down work much more accessible and, indeed, magical. This new version stands in contrast to The NOLA Project’s previous post-Katrina presentation of The Tempest, retitled Get This Lake off My House in which Bartelle was a player.
Shakepeare’s The Tempest Reimagined (90 minutes with no intermission) by James Bartelle played at the Lafitte Greenway performance space at 425 N. Norman Francis Parkway, a co-project with the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) from May 8 – 25.
