On November 7, the house lights will dim in Asbury’s Greathouse Theatre and a hush will fall over the crowd as actors and actresses take the stage. “The Tempest” is coming to Asbury – not by way of the Literature and Culture class, but on stage. Opening night is just a week away.
Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” was initially performed in 1611 at Whitehall Palace in Westminster, England. It begins with a violent storm and a shipwreck, leading into a story of forgiveness, love and magic. Now, Asbury’s own black box theater will fill with the themes and characters of Shakespeare’s play under the direction of Harvey Johnson, a visiting theatre professor and guest director.
Johnson came to Asbury this year through connections to Jim Shores, program director for Communication and media communications professor, and Kris Dietrich, Director of Theatre and associate professor. After initially being invited by Dietrich to direct a play that has since fallen through, Johnson and Dietrich decided on “The Tempest.”
“This is my second time directing this,” Johnson explained. “The first time I directed it, I came away without really being satisfied with my work. So it was like another venture with it, and I think I pulled much more out of it than I did the first time I directed it.”
He talks about the play as any person passionate about the theater does: with admiration and respect. Whether it be “The Tempest” or any other production he has been a part of, Johnson focuses on the capital-T Truth of the script or play. In his time studying theatre at Kent State University for his Bachelor of Fine Arts and at Carnegie Mellon University for his Master of Fine Arts, he learned to become lost in the script.
“I have a lot of work that I’ve done as a director and an actor in the theater,” Johnson details. “That work has included a number of different periods in our history and a number of different scripts that deal with the life experiences and various areas that I found that carry Truth, which is my commitment to the theater and to my calling. It has an area of ministry and then it has an area of being creative with my hands.”
Senior Bruce Dearfield plays the part of Prospero, the protagonist of the play who is exiled by his brother Antonio to the deserted island often referred to as the “Green World.” In the play, Prospero, a wizard and former Duke of Milan, conjures up the storm that causes the ship to wreck. Throughout the play, he deals with conspiracy and vengeance, all while handling his daughter Miranda and her love interest, Ferdinand. Prospero also interacts closely with a spirit named Ariel, played by Bek Askey. Though the themes of the play lean more toward serious, Asbury’s Theatre Department has worked to create a balance between giving a deserved voice to the characters while still ensuring that their audience will get lost in the laughs and drama of the Shakespearean comedy.
Dearfield takes his craft seriously, first beginning on the stage of his small high school’s theater in a production of “Willy Wonka” and now relying on his fellow actors for “The Tempest,” always loving the collaboration aspect of performing and what can be taken away from the characters he plays. For Dearfield, the two intertwine as he works through the character of Prospero.
“Without a doubt, this is the most nuanced, layered and difficult performance that I’ve ever done,” Dearfield describes his role. “It’s something I’ve really tried to hone, and I still feel like I’m just chipping away at it. With that, I feel a lot of pressure to my fellow actors; I don’t want to let anybody down. I don’t want to be the reason that they cannot give the best performance they can give.”
Johnson and Dearfield work closely together, as director and lead role of the play. Both are extremely in tune with the demands of the play and consistently work to put the theatre department first, hoping to give the audience a clear look at what the play is about. Passion for the theater emanates from the two, as a mix of love for the arts and determination to accurately depict the Truth of the show becomes almost tangible as they describe their involvement.
There will be shows on Nov. 7, 8, 9, 13, 14 and 15. Tickets will be available online until sold out. They will be $10 for students and senior citizens, $12 for faculty and staff and $15 for general admission.
