Valerie Rohy, Assistant Publicity Director, 630-8064
ROYAL SHAKESPEAREAN DIRECTS RICE PRODUCTION OF THE
TEMPEST
Trevor Baxter, renowned English actor and playwright, will direct
Baker College's prodution of The Tempest at Rice
University this spring. Baxter attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic
Arts and has worked in many theatres doing classical work with leading
companies, mainly in modern plays. He has also worked extensively in
television in such roles as the Bishop of London in Edward
VII and Dr. Litefoot in a Dr. Who episode. He
is currently appearing in the BBC series Maelstrom. He
is also a dramatist. His plays Lies and The
Undertaking played in the West End of London, and a third,
The Last Evensong, has been screened on BBC television
and received rave notices.
While visiting Rice University with the Royal Shakespeare Company last
spring, Baxter agreed to return to Rice this spring to teach theatre
classes in the English Department. In addition, he was asked to direct
the Baker Shakespeare production. Now in its fifteenth year, Baker
Theatre continues to present Shakespearean drama in a distinctly
Renaissance atmosphere. The Tempest will be performed
on a thrust stage inside Baker College's large commons area. Dark wood
paneling, massive wooden chandeliers and a fifty-foot vaulted ceiling
create this Renaissance setting. Over two hundred students and community
volunteers contribute enormous amounts of time and talent to make Baker
Shakespeare a very professional production.
The Tempest will be performed Monday, March 25
through Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 pm in the Baker Commons at Rice
University. Call 630-8019 for ticket information.
From the January 14, 1985 issue of On Campus:
Royal Shakespearean is Visiting Prof
Trevor Baxter, one of a group of five actors from the Royal
Shakespeare Company who visited the Rice campus last year as
actors-in-residence, returns for the spring 1985 semester as a visiting
Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Humanities teaching two classes: advanced
acting and Shakespeare in production. Baxter has also been invited to
direct a show on campus, possibly for Baker College's annual Shakespeare
Festival, and will be a lecturer for the spring Alumni Institute series
on Shakespeare.
The Alliance for Creative Theatre, Education and Research (ACTER) has
sponsored tours of American campuses by members of the Royal Shakespeare
Company since 1976. A new group of ACTER-sponsored actors will be on
campus February 4-9 to give three public performances, including As
You Like It, at Hamman Hall and conduct workshops and classes with
students.
From the January 31, 1985 issue of the Houston Chronicle:
Royal Shakespeare actors to visit Rice
Five actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company in England will
visit the Rice University campus to teach and to appear as
actors-in-residence from Monday to Feb. 9.
The actors, who will conduct classes and workshops for students,
will also give three public performances at Hamman Hall. These events
include As You Like It, Thursday and Feb. 9, and Samuel Beckett
This Evening, Feb. 8. All performances begin at 8 p.m.
The RSC, which sent small acting ensembles to Rice last year and
earlier to the University of Houston, this year is sending Alan David,
Patrick Godfrey, Jenny Stoller, Gerard Murphy and Lynsey Baxter. In
addition, Trevor Baxter, who was one of the troupe on campus last year,
has been named Mellon Professor and will spend the spring semester on the
campus, teaching two courses: advanced acting and Shakespeare in
production.
He is also expected to direct a production on campus, with the
Rice Players or the Baker College Shakespeare Festival group.
The actors have appeared in Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean
works with the RSC and a number of other companies, as well as in
television and films.
The visit is sponsored by the Alliance for Creative Theater,
Education and Research (ACTER) and the University of California at Santa
Barbara.
From Feb/Mar 1985 issue of Sallyport:
"Last year I cam through with the Royal Shakespeare Company and
Alan Grob of the English Department asked me if I would be willing to
come back for a semester and work on theatre with the English
Department. I have been so impressed by Rice, by the liveliness of the
University and the quality of the students that although I'd never taught
before, it seemed to be a very fascinating idea.
"When Baker College asked me to direct their annual Shakespeare
play, it seemed the obvious climax of all my other work in the
University. I am so pleased that together we decided to produce The
Tempest. It is one of my favorite plays, having, as it does, great
poetry, wonderful comedy, and really exciting visual effects."
Baker Shakespeare is proud to present The Tempest directed by
Trevor Baxter, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. The show will
run from March 25 through the 30th, starting at 8:00 pm in the Baker
Commons. Call 527-4001 for ticket and reservation information.
From the March 11, 1985 issue of On Campus:
Trevor Baxter, the British actor-playwright currently serving
as Mellon Professor of English, was interviewed over KLEF radio March 3.
Much of the conversation centered on BaxterÕs directing the forthcoming
student production of The Tempest at Baker College.
Rice Thresher,
date unknown:
Baxter directs Baker's Tempest to create excellent production
The Tempest
Directed by Trevor Baxter
Baker College Theatre
Baker College continues a longstanding tradition with its
sixteenth presentation of a work of Shakespeare. This year noted actor,
playwright, and Royal Shakespearean Trevor Baxter directs The
Tempest, one of Shakespeare's later works.
The play, for those not familiar with the work, concerns several
people shipwrecked on a supposedly uninhabited island after a tremendous
storm. However, Prospero, the legitimate Duke of Milan, is living here
with his daughter Miranda, a savage, deformed slave named Caliban, and an
airy spirit called Ariel.
Amongst the shipwreck survivors are Antonio, Prospero's brother
and the usurper of the Dukedom; Alonzo, the King of Naples; Sebastian,
the king's brother; Ferdinand, the king's son; and Gonzalo, an honest old
councilor. In addition to the nobles are Trinculo, a jester, and
Stephano, a drunken butler.
During the course of the play, the characters get separated into
smaller groups and, with Prospero guiding and manipulating them
constantly, the shipwreck victims come to find out who they really are,
what they are really like.
Magic is one of the central features of this play and, in this
production, Mr. Baxter has emphasized this aspect in particular. For the
most part, this works very well, making the play literally fantastic.
But in the opening scene, this approach tends to hurt rather than help
the play.
To indicate the ferocity of the storm, Mr. Baxter employs
electronic sound effects which, with all the movement on stage, combine
to render the opening dialogue very hard to understand. The image of a
tempest is excellently achieved but at the sacrifice of clarity of lines.
After this scene, however, the rest of the play, especially the
scenes with Trinculo, Stephano, and Caliban, are excellent.
Lee Chilton plays Prospero very well, providing excellent
characterization of the usurped Duke. His performance stands out as he
delivers Shakespeare's lines most naturally and convincingly. In this
respect, Karen Chatfield, as the airy Ariel, also succeeds admirably.
Tom Hageman (as Antonio, Prospero's brother) is not quite as
natural in his role but still manages to convey the scheming usurper
excellently. His interjections, often humorous, display a good sense of
timing and his acting ability contributes enormously to his
characterization.
Bill Pribyl is an appropriately distressed yet regal monarch, and
Scott Flunkinger, as Sebastian, the king's brother, provides a convincing
ally of Antonio's in the regicide attempt. And at all times Jeff McCarty
as Gonzalo projects the image of a very honorable, honest councilor whose
first duty is to the king.
Ray Isle, as Ferdinand, performs very well, especially in
delivering the lines to Miranda (Mary Schratwieser). Indeed, all the
scenes between these two are lively and spirited and prevent the lines
from becoming trite or banal.
But it was the troika of Caliban (Tom Senning), Trinculo (Don
Lee), and Stephano (Dennis Huston) who steal the show. The performance
of each is absolutely amazing and together, they are an unstoppable
combination. Not only do all three present a remarkable sense of timing,
but the blocking and directing are almost perfect. They utilize the
stage and play the audience very well. In each and every scene they have
the audience in hysterics.
While most of the play is well performed and well delivered, the
scenes with Messrs. Senning, Lee and Huston are excellent. But even
without these three, the play would be well worth seeing.
There are still two performances left, tonight and tomorrow night
at 8 p.m. in Baker Commons.
-- Ian Neath
Last modified March 25, 1997 by
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