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Classic Shakespeare play gets revamped at Trinity Western with gender swapped roles

Student production of The Tempest runs March 17 to 28 at the Robert N. Thompson Building
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Mischief, mystery, and mayhem set the stage for a world where fantasy and reality collide.

The biggest production of the year at TWU’s School of the Arts, Media + Culture (SAMC) Theatre will be an original take on William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and the community is invited to experience this classic with new eyes.

Directed by Kate Muchmore Woo and cast by TWU students, the drama explores the vast complexities of human relationships—between sisters, mothers, and daughters, between masters and slaves, and between those who fall in love.

Muchmore Woo called The Tempest a compelling story of ambition, betrayal, revenge, and forgiveness.

“It explores the many ways those of us who call ourselves human are bound, trapped, and yearning for freedom. Out of great betrayal and pain can come even worse consequences: revenge, violence, fear. But what of mercy and forgiveness? Are those actions possible for us? What of the ways we bring others into bondage with us? Are we able to release them?,” she asked, hoping to explore the answers with her cast.

Instead of the usual male protagonist, Prospero, SAMC’s twist includes a female Prospera, who is betrayed, stranded, and consumed with revenge against her power-thirsty sister, Antonia.

READ MORE: Snappy play full of zany fast talkers and one liners aims to get audiences laughing

The depths of the sea, the heights of the heavens, and a tumultuous land mimic the vicissitudes of the common human experience.

As one storm rages on the sea, another storm rages within, and “nothing is quite what it seems.”

“As Shakespeare’s last play, it contains a wide variety of material – a violent sea storm, magic and spirits, high drama, hilarious comedic characters, and a love story. It’s a wonderful mixture of all of Shakespeare’s best ideas,” Muchmore Woo added.

Show times are scheduled for March 17 to 28 with Tuesday evening showings at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday matinee showings at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available by calling 604-513-2188 or visiting http://twu.ca/theatre.

SAMC Theatre is also putting on a High School Night Special on Thursday, March 26 at 6 p.m.

All shows will take place at Freedom Hall, Robert N. Thompson Building, Trinity Western University, 22500 University Dr.

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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com

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