OFFBEAT: 'The Feast: an intimate Tempest' creates interest, confusion

Chicago Shakespeare Theater's 25th anniversary season is in full swing with a partnership performance world premiere — "The Feast: an intimate Tempest."

It's an original CST commission and artistic collaboration continuing through March 11 in the smaller upstairs stage space teaming the great minds from CST with the equally creative forces at Redmoon Theater.

Described as "an innovative adaptation of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' carved out by three actors, a menagerie of handcrafted puppets, and original music and animations," audiences will be entranced by the imaginative staging. However, some viewers may be confused by the 80-minute, no-intermission experience.

Co-created and co-directed by Jessica Thebus and Frank Maugeri and developed for CST by Creative Producer Rick Boynton, the production features John Judd as Prospero with Adrian Danzig as Caliban and Samuel Taylor as Ariel. The three actors (mainly Danzig and Taylor) also control and manipulate what can only be described as extraordinary puppets.

The Redmoon Theater has a long-standing tradition of challenging audiences with their magical mechanics of puppetry. The clever puppet creations are stunning, representing wizard Prospero's doe-eyed daughter Miranda and their animalistic slave Caliban (represented here by Danzig in a mask), as well as the handsome Prince Ferdinand.

For this incarnation of the story, Judd plays Prospero as the ultimate puppet master, pulling the strings as the characters make their way around the deserted island where he has been in exiled with his daughter for more than a decade.

A massive wooden slate table with wings and drawers jetting out on either side provide the spotlight space for much of the action and puppetry to be showcased.

And with every lever pulled by Judd's Prospero, representing a spell cast, a new drawer reveals wonderment or cut-out images of everything from food to flowers as the story moves along.

Unfortunately, there are many moments when the storytelling becomes so abstract it's distracting and confusing.

A rear projection screen also offers mood-setting images for moments depicting everything from buzzing flies to waves of water and storms.

The creative team for "The Feast: an intimate Tempest" deserves credit for setting the tone and scene, including art director and silhouette puppet designer Andrea Everman and 3D puppet designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock. The scenic engineer and builder is Neil Verplank and lighting designer is Andrew H. Myers with projection design by Mike Tutaj. The composer/sound designer is Jefferey Allen Thomas and co-costume designers are Sue Haas and Anna Glowacki.

Tickets for "The Feast: an intimate Tempest" are $35 to $45 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40 percent discount on guaranteed parking in Navy Pier garages. FYI: (312)-595-5600 or chicagoshakes.com/feast.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.