Christopher Smith as the island monster Caliban. ?
Madison Smith as Miranda and Zack Jordan as Prospero.
Lyndsay Mackay as an island spirit.
Theater company Back Alley Productions will bring William Shakespeare’s The Tempest to life to North Georgia and Chattanooga audiences this summer.
“This is the second summer we’re performing a Shakespearean classic free for the public,” Kaylee Smith, executive director, said. “This year, we’re pushing our creative boundaries.”
The Tempest runs roughly 2.5 hours, including intermission. All shows are free and open to the public. As a traveling show, The Tempest will be performed at several locations including:
• Mars Theater on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. Located at 117 N Chattanooga St, LaFayette.
• The Northwest Georgia Amphitheater on Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. Located at 220 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, directly east of the Colonnade Performing Arts Theater.
• Coolidge Park on Friday, July 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Stage in the easternmost part of the park. The park is located in Chattanooga, on the riverfront.
• Camp Jordan amphitheater on Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m. Located at the end of Camp Jordan Parkway in Chattanooga.
Though the show is free, Back Alley is accepting tax-deductible donations at tinyurl.com/DonateBAP to help support the run of current and future productions.
Review for The Tempest:
The Tempest, among the Bard’s greatest and most popular classics, details the conflicts and intrigue of several castaways on a mystical island where superstition rules supreme.
“We had such a positive turnout to last year’s Macbeth,” Ms. Smith adds. “It’s given us fuel to grow and challenge ourselves creatively. We can’t wait to unveil it to the community.”
In The Tempest, Prospero, an ousted duke of former political power, seeks revenge against the conspirators who overthrew him. Thought to have died in an orchestrated shipwreck, he is now an expert magician who rules over the island’s many spirits.
When Prospero learns a royal convey, carrying several of the usurpers, is nearby the island he conjures a storm to sink it. With the upper hand over the new castaways, Prospero sets out to requite those who wronged him, including his own brother Antonio. But his vendetta is complicated by the mercy of his daughter Miranda who has fallen in love with one of the shipwrecked nobles.
“It’s a fantastic story that remains popular after 400 years,” Ms. Smith adds. “We’re keeping to the original Shakespearean language. Even if you don’t fully understand some lines, it’s like listening to poetry. Our actors also have a real knack for telling the story visually, not just verbally. They’ve impressed me with how they’ve created an accessible, timeless story. We’re proud to add it to our annals.”
Visit www.backalleyproductions.org for more information or call 706.621-2870.