The Barstow Theatre Department put on an exciting and well-costumed rendition of The Tempest, as the spring play. Prospero (Ben Shinamoto) and Ariel (Mimi Wood), torment a group of wrecked travelers, and orchestrate chaos among the survivors. Most notably, Barstow’s version included several original songs, written by Director Bob Kohler.
“When I started, I hadn’t read the Tempest yet, so I was going into this completely blind,” Wood said. “He just sort of gave them to me. We had to do a lot of work. It was a lot of pressure, having to sing all by myself on stage.”
The play was received well by the audience; laughter ensued after jokes, and gasps could be heard at the sight of the large red wings protruding from Wood’s back.
“I thought the show was great,” said Liane Bdaire (‘24), an audience member. “I think the special effects added a lot to the show, especially the new projection around the stage.”
The sets and special effects were created by dedicated stage manager Ahna Chang (‘23) who says she found inspiration for the set from the script.
“I just pulled from the material,” she stated. “I did set design, the backgrounds, the logs, etc.” Chang has been stage managing since last summer, where she managed Motor Court 103, a mystery written by Barstow graduate Claire Redick (‘22).
But not all of the cast has as much experience. For Shimamoto, who played Prospero, this was his on stage debut.
“The only other play I’ve done was The Importance of Being Earnest, and I was crew,” said Shinamoto. Despite this, he describes enjoying his time on stage. “I had fun, everything was my favorite part.”
Beyond strong leads, the supporting and ensemble cast made the performance especially memorable. Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban(Miles McEachen(‘25), Chetan Thomas(‘24) and Dalwood Qadeer(‘24)) brought infectious energy to the show with strong comedic timing and chemistry.
“My favorite part was with Chathan’s drunken stupor,” Bdaire continued. “That was pretty funny.”
Overall, Barstow’s theatre department succeeded in entertaining the audience, and ensuring the somewhat complicated 1600’s play was made clear through funny and engaging acting.
