stage
of how wonderful my previous experiences have been at The Globe, both artistically and personally,” Feliciano shared. “I have a four-year- old daughter, and she has spent most summers at The Globe, it’s a wonderful place for our whole fam- ily… the park, the zoo, the beach, the museums and the weather!” Oddly enough the role of Caliban
A BIT OF DARK MAGIC WITH A GENDER TWIST
by tom andrew This summer on the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre stage, The Old Globe in Balboa Park
will be presenting two classical plays, William Shakespeare’sThe Tempest andMuch Ado About Nothing. Tucked away behind the mainstages, the outdoor theatre is surrounded by the park’s eucalyptus trees, creating a natural dramatic atmosphere. The Tempest stars Broadway, film and television star Kate Burton, who is best known for
her work as Ellis Grey onGrey’s Anatomy and Vice President Sally Langston onScandal. Ms. Burton’s résumé also boasts over forty films and a full career on stage as well. Some of the actress’s favorite work has been performing in a myriad of Anton Chekov plays, includingThe Cherry Orchard andThe Seagull.
Playing the role of Prospero inThe Tempest
marks the first time Ms. Burton will grace The Old Globe stage. The role is traditionally played by a male actor, but in this version Prospero becomes Prospera. “This is the first time I have performed at The Old Globe,” Burton said. “It was the idea of playing Prospera that brought me here. Prospero is one of the greatest of Shakespeare’s roles and it had never been on my radar until it was suggested that it could be played by a woman.” Performing at The Globe is only one of the
“firsts” Ms. Burton will experience while being in San Diego. She will also be sharing the stage for the first time with other accomplished ac-
tors that she’s never met. “I have never worked with anyone in the cast,” Burton revealed. “But I have long admired Manoel Feliciano (Caliban), Andrew Weems (Trinculo), Robert Foxworth (Alonso) and Robert Dorfman (Stephano).” No question Burton is in good company.
Feliciano, is an accomplished stage and film actor and musician. His work on Broadway includes,Sweeney Todd, Brooklyn, Jesus Christ Superstarand he made his Broadway debut inCabaret. This will mark Feliciano’s third time here in
San Diego at The Globe and he’s very much looking forward to being back. “I specifically sought out this role in this production because
PROSPERA IS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF SHAKESPEARE’S ROLES AND IT HAD NEVER BEEN ON MY RADAR UNTIL IT WAS SUG- GESTED THAT IT COULD BE PLAYED BY A WOMAN.”
is a role he admittedly sought out, but he never thought he’d play. “It is a role that honestly I never thought I’d be cast in, so it’s incredibly exciting,” Felciano said. “Daunting but exciting. Caliban is at the heart of our fears of difference— he is from a different culture, yet what he wants is what we all want: a family, love, a home. It’s also fascinating to me the while he’s not a native speaker of the language, he is among the most articulate and poetic of all the characters in the play.” Mastering the bard (Shakespeare)
is not an easy task for some, but Feliciano seems to have the golden touch where his language is concerned. “It’s always come easily to me,” Feliciano admitted. “Maybe because I was a language nerd and musician before I became an actor… But what attracts me to the plays is not the language, but the characters and their struggles to make sense of their place in the world. Harold Bloom was absolutely right that Shakespeare invented the modern human. I had a chance to playRichard III but had to give it up for another project, so I’d love to get another crack at that. Caliban gets insulted on stage almost as much as Richard does, I must be a glutton for punishment.”
The Tempest runs Sunday, June 17 through Sunday, July 22 at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. Bring a blanket, or heavy sweatshirt, it does get a little cold as the night wears on. For tickets and more information, call 619.234.5623 or go to
theoldglobe.org.
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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2018
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