The New York Theatre Review: Public Works’ The Tempest

By Dennis W. 

Magic and music fill the air as Public Works presents the final production of the Delacorte Theatre 2023 Season with Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Not only that, we won’t see the stage come to life again until 2025. The Delacorte is closing for 18 months for a much-needed renovation. The work includes backstage updates as well as more comfortable seating for the audience and a new look for the outside facade.

The Tempest, a comedy, is probably one of William Shakespeare’s final creations. It’s all about isolation, greed, love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness. The original play has more musical interludes and songs than any of Shakespeare’s other plays. Many productions tend to trim out the music but Public Works brings it front and center with music and lyrics by Benjamin Velez (“Kiss My Aztec“). Following the tradition of Public Works this production brings together a cast of professional actors and members from community groups around the city. This combination brings an unmistakable energy to The Tempest. The four-act play with added music is trimmed to just under 2 hours. There is a lot to do to squeeze Shakespeare’s convoluted plot and subplots into this tight musical framework. But Public Works is up to the challenge.

The comedy begins with Prospero, portrayed by Renée Elise Goldsberry (Broadway’s Hamilton), living in exile on a deserted island isolated with her daughter Miranda Naomi Pierre (Center for Family Life in Sunset Park). Coming out of the pandemic this is an apt choice by Public Works. After 12 years in solitude, Prospero uses her magical powers to finally exact revenge on those who stole her position and cast her and her daughter adrift in a small boat that finally brought them to the island.

Porspero begins the play bent on revenge but quickly, in this musical interpretation, Goldsberry finds her heart and sees that her path leads to forgiveness. With the help of a modern musical score woven into The Tempest, this production easily brings Shakespeare to everyone whether you are familiar with the play or not. Velez’s score hits the right notes and engages the audience. It’s a mix of Shakespeare’s script and modern language that fills in any of the plot the audience might have missed in the dialogue. “Viben on You”, is a hip number that clicks with the audience. Ferdinand (Jordan Best) who has just washed up on the island sings of his love at first sight for Miranda. The comedic “A Fool Can Be King” sung by Stephano (Joel Perez), Triculo (Sabrina Cedeño), and Caliban (Theo Stockman) pays homage to Shakespeare’s groundlings.

Prospero gives her approval to the match of Miranda and Ferdinand with “A Thousand Blessings” as Goldsberry’s beautiful voice summons a vast ensemble of spirits (100+ community players) who fill the stage.

Direction by Lauren Woolery (Public Works’ As You Like It) hits some rough patches but does the job moving huge numbers of actors on and off stage. Choreography by Tiffany Rea-Fisher (“Transcendence“) although not impressive is more about moving actors around the stage than actual dance numbers.

The Public Works production of The Tempest with music and lyrics by Benjamin Velez at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park was a night to remember. The play is the farewell to Shakespeare in the Park until 2025 when renovations are scheduled to be complete. The nights of stepping into the park and leaving the hectic city behind to enjoy a night of theater under the stars are on hiatus for 18 months and they will be missed.