A ‘Tempest’ for our time: How theater overcomes

We are in an era of isolation. “A Tempest for Our Time,” a new project headed by Globetrotting Shakespeare that features some local talent blends the classic and the contemporary in a Zoom exploration of the Bard’s famous play about a mystical shipwreck. Co-director Jennifer King describes the project as using Zoom as a mechanism to explore “The Tempest,” but more importantly, “isolation as a mechanism for transformation.”

King herself came up with the project in tandem with creative partner Suzanne Dean of Globetrotting Shakespeare in Los Angeles, after her plans to be a teaching artist at the Prague Shakespeare Summer Intensive fell through due to COVID-19. The intensive would have allowed the annual gathering of students, actors and other theater professionals from all over the world to congregate for four weeks of Shakespearian study and performance; its closure left many including King fearful there would no longer be a space for their art. “Not only was I sad I wouldn’t be creating, I was also sad that I wasn’t going to be working with these people,” King said, “and I was feeling lonely!”

Thus “Tempest for Our Time” was born and it actually has several connections to Sonoma. King taught Sonoma Valley Wholesale Nursery owner Paul Martinez’s daughter drama at the Sonoma Charter School in the 1990s; years later, Martinez is stepping up as a sponsor for the production. “He’s a very kind and supportive man,” said King.

The California wine country has also contributed three actors to perform the three comedic clown roles: Ben Stowe (Sonoma), Matt Cowell (Napa) and Jessica Romero (Napa).

Romero has performed with Sonoma Arts Live and worked with King before at Napa Valley College, recalling how King was, in fact, her theater teacher when she was a student. “It’s kind of a dream come true being able to work with her and also all of these amazing artists from across the globe,” said Romero. With directing two shows at Sonoma Arts Live (“Bad Dates” and “The Belle of Amherst”) and teaching drama at the Sonoma Charter School under her belt, King is excited to work with Romero again.

This live-streamed performance will feature actors from Canada, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and, of course, the United States. King and Dean have been able to use the geographic distance as an artistic choice, casting characters corresponding to their setting. The lead characters are in Prague where the summer intensive would have been; the Ariels (the mythical marine spirits) will be played by actors near the beach through Dean’s L.A. company; and, of course, the three clown characters, Trinculo, Stefano and Caliban, will be played by local actors in Napa and Sonoma - the land of wine and hilarious drunken foolery.

However, changing from a stage to a screen has presented challenges for both local and abroad actors. “It really is different from theater,” said King, who continued to explain that one of the biggest challenges is rehearsing with actors in several different time zones. Romero added that choreographing the physical comedy bits the play is rife with presents a unique challenge when the actors are not in the same space, and rapidly transforming into a film actor has been difficult, especially during a pandemic. However, no challenge is too difficult to overcome: “I think the most surprising benefit is how well I’ve been able to adapt, how well we’ve all been able to adapt,” Romero said.

This flexibility is attributed to strong direction by King, Dean and their co-directors Carolyn Johnson and Laura Cole, as well as technical direction by Kevin Kemp who has worked with prestigious local companies like Shotgun Players and California Shakespeare. Kemp has been working as a technical director, sound engineer and digital stage manager to pull together what King refers to as “the magicianship of theater” on an online platform.

Everyone involved with the project is hyperaware that Zoom is not the same as a live performance. Perhaps this will lead to an art form that can actually be witnessed by more people in the future. “The gift of Zoom is that it does provide an opportunity for people to have access to theater. You have access to artists that you otherwise wouldn’t have had access to,” she said.

In a time of quarantined isolation, the moments of human connection augment in meaning. Theater has always been a way to create a shared experience, and it is inspiring to see how that desire to create connection is stronger than ever.

“The theater community needs to know that we’re still here,” said Romero. “We’re on a smaller stage but we’re not going anywhere.”

The one-time performance can be viewed through The Streaming Theatre and on Twitch on June 11 at 11 a.m at thestreamingtheatre.wixsite.com/home/livestream or twitch.tv/thestreamingtheatre

Tickets are donate what you can and proceeds benefit the Prague Shakespeare Company.