HDA Storms the Stage with The Tempest

For Director Mike Calderone, choosing to perform “The Tempest” this fall wasn’t a hard decision: “I chose the ‘The Tempest’ knowing the actors we had, the space we had to use, that it is very theatrical and fun, that the entire ninth and tenth grade classes have read it or will read it, and that it’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays of all time!” Greta Lee ’28, who plays Ariel, believes that “The Tempest” is a good choice for the fall production as it’s “a fun play, with a lot of different characters,” meaning that “different people can play different roles than they’re used to.” Calderone echoed a similar sentiment, stating that he believes this play has all the right roles for new and old HDA members. “Experienced actors are right for key roles, younger actors having something meaty to work on, and there is plenty to do for the youngest actors who are just starting out in HDA.”

A production like “The Tempest” poses a few challenges for the cast and crew members working on the play. HDA head and production stage manager Grace Zhang ’25 mentioned that “working with the props, especially the parachutes, might be challenging.” The parachutes in “The Tempest” represent the waves of the ocean, and the titular tempest at the start of the play. Zhang recalls that “The parachutes are new to most of us, and can be weird to manipulate during a couple scenes.” Another difficulty the actors face is trying to memorize lines due to the differences between Shakespeare’s work and modern English grammar, Karolina Jasaitis ’27 stated. “I think one of the major challenges is that instead of purely learning lines in English, we first had to translate them from Shakespearean to English, but then memorize them back in Shakespearean. It definitely made the process a little bit more difficult, or at least more time consuming.” 

Calderone, as director, has a different opinion. He shares that, “A big challenge for me, having directed [The Tempest] twice already, is making this production match the current cast. I'm using some old devices from my past productions, such as casting the airy spirit Ariel with multiple actors who act more as a Greek Chorus than a single character.” Despite using past methods to organize the play, Calderone expressed that he nonetheless wants to explore new ideas with this cast, such as questioning the characters’ roles in the play, relationships with each other, and the labels Shakespeare gives them. 

As HDA joins together to put on this production, the show’s comedic elements and staging culminate into a fun and worthwhile experience for the cast and crew. Jasaitis said “I’m really excited to be bonding with my other castmates. Whether it be through laughing at Caliban and Trinculo, working with my scene partners, or watching the whole production come together, it’s going to be a really fun experience.” In Zhang’s opinion, the costumes will be an exciting part of the show, as they will “vary depending on the character’s personality, and the whimsical nature of ‘The Tempest’ will make for some beautiful costumes.” Not only do the costumes excite the cast, but so do the new props that they use. Vincent Sze 27’ has enjoyed “the use of the parachute to represent many different elements in the play; it takes a bit of creativity and personal interpretation, which matches the vibe of Shakespeare really well.”

In Calderone’s opinion, watching the play’s final product come together will reward the cast for their hard work: “When my actors have never seen a production of the play before, and we stage something for the first time, their minds explode!” He shares that as an actor, it’s sometimes difficult to picture how “Trinculo, the jester, and Caliban come together under a cloth to be mistaken by Stephano as a four legged creature with two heads!” Calderone hopes that watching the final product of the show will answer a lot of those questions for the actors, who have watched the production come together from start to finish. 

The cast and crew hope that watching the play as an audience member will be just as exciting as it is for those onstage and behind the scenes. Sze wants more “people [to] come see the show. Personally, I understand that Shakespeare can be boring, but through the efforts of HDA, I believe we have put together an entertaining and captivating performance.” Zhang shares a similar sentiment, stating “I hope all the freshmen can come see it, because it’s required reading for them, but also because it brings the story to life in a new way,” and that “the show has been really rewarding for everyone working on it.”

Ultimately, HDA’s interpretation of “The Tempest” brings Shakespeare’s play to the Woodbridge club in an exciting manner, through the use of innovative props, vibrant dialogue, and creative staging. Not only will it reflect the cast and crew’s creativity and hard work, but Calderone believes that “It's going to be a show to remember!”