The Tempest

Director David Harris incorporates a good concept, locating this community production on a palmy, humid isle in the Bahamas, with the spirit Ariel and her retinue styled on a Haitian voodoo theme, with dance scenes and storms. Veteran actor Luther Hanson, as the exiled conjurer Prospero, has the right look and moves, but isn’t always easy to hear in the outdoor amphitheatre. Eddie Jackson does well as Caliban, the half-man, half-fish dubbed “Mooncalf” by drunken clowns Stephano (Ed Lee) and Trinculo (Michael Lie Murphy. As Tempest productions go, this one’s brief (two hours), reflecting several cuts, including Prospero’s epilogue. The aura of nature’s mystery and power (overwhelming the smaller plans of scheming “civilized” men) is nonetheless sustained, with help from costumer Nicole Sivell.
Sacramento Shakespeare Festival, July 27, August 1 and 3, 8 p.m. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. $15-$18. William A. Carroll Amphitheatre, William Land Park, 3901 Land Park Drive; (916) 558-2228; www.sacramentoshakespeare.net.