“The Tempest” & “Macbeth”
July 3-26, 2015, 8:00pm*
Preview Performances Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4
Opening Night Performance Sunday, July 5
No performance on Tuesday, July 7
at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park
(enter the park at 124th Street & Fifth Avenue, and walk south to the venue)
Harlem
The Tempest is a theatrical “gumbo”, with an intricate blend of usurping villains, youthful romance, music, magic, humor, and conspiracy. In this play, Shakespeare gives us such iconic characters as Ariel, Caliban, and our protagonist Prospero, whose quest for justice leads him to become unjust himself.
Prospero’s magical island could be anywhere. CTH’s production references the enchanting island of Hispaniola, the island that is home to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The history of Haiti is nothing short of magical: this tiny Caribbean country won its independence by defeating three European superpowers: France, Britain, and Spain, demonstrating the same fighting spirit found in Caliban, and the same longing for freedom as Ariel. The Tempest highlights the dynamics of freedom and captivity, imprisonment and rebellion, authority and tyranny.
The Classical Theatre of Harlem in conjunction with CityParks Foundation’s SummerStage Festival proudly present its annual outdoor theatre production CTH Under the Stars. This year’s production is the classic ‘The Tempest’ by William Shakespeare. The production is directed by Carl Cofield who helmed the critically-acclaimed production of Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones’s Dutchman for CTH last spring. He brings back many artists from that creative team to work on The Tempest, including: Christopher and Justin Swader (scenic design), Rachel Dozier-Ezell (costume design), Alan C. Edwards (lighting design), Eric Sluyter (sound design) and Ralph Stan Lee (stage management).
*All shows start at 8:00PM except for Friday night performances which feature Jazzmobile pre-show concerts starting at 7:00PM