Hilo Community Players have announced the 45th annual Shakespeare in the Park festival, opening with “The Tempest,” July 8-24 in Hilo at the parking lot of the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium parking lot, and then from July 29-31 at the Honoka‘a Sports Complex. Admission is free.
Shakespeare’s final play is a swashbuckling comedy about freedom, redemption and recovery, set on a remote island full of danger and magic.
In HCP’s early 20th-century take, it’s the island prison of the brilliant, arrogant scientist Prospero (Wilfred Gee), who with his daughter and assistant Miranda (Alya-Joy Kanehailua) harnesses the power of the wind and waves — personified by the dangerous spirit Ariel (Miriam Hoenig) — in a quest for vengeance on his own brother, the scheming politician Antonio (Ray Ryan).
Meanwhile, the downtrodden Caliban (Yama Radtke), longing for freedom from Prospero’s control, enlists help overthrowing him from an unreliable pair of drunken playboys (Miriam Wilson and Lucky Lemieux).
Painted in science-fiction style by Bevin Kilfoyle of Clean Heart Art, and stuffed with gadgetry by veteran HCP Shakespeare actor/director Theon Weber, “The Tempest” is a spectacle designed to take full advantage of its parking-lot scale.
Like HCP’s “Othello” and “Romeo &Juliet” of recent years, “The Tempest” will be presented in a live drive-in format. The Players will appear live on a raised stage before an audience watching from the distanced safety of their cars — even tuning into the show’s sound via a short-range radio transmission. For those who wish to bring seating, there also will be room in front of the stage for folding chairs and picnic blankets. The audio of the show will be pumped through loudspeakers so that each crisp word of the dialogue can be heard.
An original score by Hilo’s own Rachel Edwards sets Shakespeare’s lyrics to eerie, bittersweet melodies, haunting the play and transporting characters and audiences alike from their own noisy isles to Shakespeare’s.
“The Tempest” will run three weekends in Hilo: July 8-10, 14-15, 17, 21-24 beginning each night at 7:30 p.m. After the Hilo run set will be moved to the Honoka‘a Sports Complex, where the show will play for outdoor seating on July 29-31 also at 7:30 pm.
Another element of the Shakespeare in the Park festival is the “kid-shakes” production of “The Tempest.” This version, by playwright Terence Patrick Hughes, is a fun adaptation of Shakespeare’s work, to be presented by an all-youth cast under the direction of veteran performer Alya-Joy Kanehailua.
This version is shorter than the original and promises fun for the whole family. Kid-shakes will be performed at the civic parking lot at 4 p.m. on July 9-10, 15, 17, 23-24 and runs approximately an hour long.
As always for the drive-in productions, the Players ask that attendees empty roof racks before coming to the drive-in event in Hilo. Large vehicles, such as trucks, vans and SUVs will be parked to the side or behind the first three rows to ensure the best view for all.
Those wishing to bring chairs or blankets may sit outside their vehicle in front of the stage area, parking empty cars along the sides or in the back. The parking lot will open one-hour before showtime.
In Honoka‘a, blankets, sitting pillows and/or folding chairs are encouraged, as this event location is not a drive-in. Admission is free, and donations are appreciated.
Concessions will be available, including water, soda, popcorn, candy and more.
For more information, visit HiloPlayers.org, email hilocommunityplayers@gmail.com, or call HCP at (442) 268-0891.