Idle Muse Theatre Company opened their Jeff-Recommended production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest last weekend. Directed by Tristan Brandon and featuring a cast of skilled performers and an ace technical and administrative team—not to mention scoring that cherished Jeff Recommendation—Idle Muse’s opening was a smashing success.
Photography in the Round
Idle Muse stages this production of The Tempest in the round, which gives the production an immersive feel. We therefore kept the production photography tight on the actors, the way the audience might focus their attention while watching the play. During the show’s tech week, we captured various moments from the play in our press and production photography session, but we’ll be returning in a couple weeks to do an archival photography session where we capture more of the show in action with all the set, lighting, and costume elements on display. (Even so, I wish I could photograph L. J. Luthringer’s exceptional sound design as well!)
The gallery at the top of this post shows some selections from our press and production photos. Here’s an additional look at some behind-the-scenes rehearsal images.
New Camera, Who Dis?
In late August, I finally took the plunge into the world of mirrorless cameras. The Tempest was my first press/production session with this new device, and it was educational. Focusing is mostly automatic, accurate, and easy, which saves a lot of time. I didn’t use flash with this camera, relying on designer Laura Wiley’s lighting scheme, some ambient fill I provided with a large umbrella, and assistant director/violence designer Libby Beyreis holding a reflector for me once again. Thanks to the improved focusing capabilities, I was able to shoot at wider apertures without worrying overly much about missing my subject(s). Ultimately, the time saved is the biggest difference.
The Goods
It’s always a great pleasure working with Idle Muse Theatre company. We’ve photographed many shows over the years. As time goes on, we both continue to take risks, experiment, play, and strive to do better work in a friendly and positive environment among a community of kind, compassionate, skilled creators. It’s a special ensemble they’ve put together.
An example of creative risk as pertains to this production: Early in the conceptual process when director Tristan Brandon told me he was thinking of casting six actors to play Ariel, I thought he might be out of his mind. This definitely wasn’t a safe or easy choice; any number of things might have gone wrong. By the time the opening night of the production concluded, however, I’d become a true believer and felt I’d prefer that The Tempest always be done this way. Well done, Tristan Brandon.
However, the success is also in large part due to the six specific actors chosen to play Ariel, who genuinely seemed to be having the time of their lives making mischief. At the end of the play, I got choked up seeing them go. Which was a first for all the productions I’ve seen of this play. For all the youthful idealism that possessed me in my early twenties as a theatre school graduate, I tend to watch theatre dispassionately. Yet the emotion lingered in me for several minutes after the play concluded. And ultimately I felt I’d experienced something new and real in this play. A rare thing indeed, and certainly worth the risk, in my opinion.
Distant Era Royalty and Chicago Small Theatre Specials
Several past Distant Era subjects feature in The Tempest, including a few from previous Distant Era series: Gary Henderson, Jennifer Mohr, Shellie DiSalvo (production manager), and our very own Distant Era MVP Elizabeth MacDougald as Prospero. I even made a cool ad for the program, featuring the actors in the show, and offering special rates exclusively for small theatre in Chicago.
The Tempest runs through October 20, 2024. Showtimes, tickets, and other information about the production can be found on the Idle Muse website.
Cast, Crew, and Concept
Here’s Idle Muse’s summary of The Tempest, followed by the cast and creative team for the show, as listed on the Idle Muse website.
Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made On
William Shakespeare’s final full-length theatrical work, The Tempest, tells of a faraway island where magic, illusion, and spirits run wild—where a usurped noble and his daughter, banished by betrayal, endure out of sight of society. When a magical tempest brings a royal ship to the island’s shores, schemes for vengeance and justice unfold alongside new love, fantastical happenings, and just maybe…forgiveness…
CAST: Elizabeth MacDougald (Prospero), Caty Gordon (Miranda), Jennifer Mohr (Caliban), Boomer Lusink (Ferdinand), Mara Kovacevic (Ariel 1), Gary Henderson (Ariel 2), Connar Brown (Ariel 3), Emely Cuestas (Ariel 4), Jacque Bischoff (Ariel 5), Emily Pfriem (Ariel 6), Michael Dalberg (Stephano), Joel Thompson (Trinculo), Jack Sharkey (Alonso), Eric Duhon (Sebastian), Orion Lay-Sleeper (Antonio), Xavier Lagunas (Gonzalo), with understudies Riley Doerner, Ethan Carlson, Makenna Van Raalte, Brian Healy and Andre Colin
CREATIVE: Tristan Brandon (director), Shellie DiSalvo (production manager), Maureen Yasko (intimacy designer), Laura Wiley (lighting & projection designer), L.J. Luthringer (sound designer), Jennifer Mohr (costume designer), Becky Warner (stage manager), Lindsey Chidester (associate stage manager), Libby Beyreis (assistant director and violence design), Kati Lechner (music director), Evan Jackson (artistic director), and Breezy Snyder (scenic painter).
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