AZ Rep's "The Tempest" is a magical night of theater

If you doubt theater is magic, go see “The Tempest.”

Arizona Repertory Theatre opened the Shakespeare play Wednesday, in the University of Arizona’s Tornabene Theatre.

The small black box space shook with thunder, rocked with an angry sea, shocked with lightning.

It’s all done with sounds and lights. Magic.

That storm was conjured up by Prospero, a powerful magician hell bent on a bit of revenge while he sets into motion a plan to restore his daughter Miranda’s birthright.

A dozen years before the play takes place, Prospero, the duke of Milan, and his young daughter were sabotaged by his power-hungry brother, Antonio, who set them adrift in a raft. Helping Antonio was Alonso, the king of Naples.

Prospero and Miranda ended up on this small island, where Prospero perfected his magic skills. He conjures that opening tempest so that the ship that Antonio, Alonso and others are on is demolished in the storm and they are forced to find safety on the island. Prospero doesn’t want to hurt them; he just wants them to fess up to their wrongs and give him and his daughter the royal status they deserve.

Oh, and he wants Miranda to marry Ferdinand, Alonso’s son and heir. He was on that ship, as well.

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The ART production was visually sumptuous, from the costumes to the masks to the set, covered with nooks and crannies where all sorts of strange characters came and went.

But this Brent Gibbs-directed production wasn’t just eye candy: The cast of UA students and a couple of teachers caressed the language, were rooted in the characters, and put on a swift-moving show that never failed to compel.

Taking on the role of Prospero was Kevin Black, an associate professor in the theater school. He breathed Shakespeare’s language, giving it the rhythm and meaning it demanded. Black’s Prospero had a softer edge. As a result, we never quite saw the bitterness that initially propelled the character to manipulate the storm, the shipwreck, and the island’s new inhabitants. But he made his forgiveness palpable.

Among those doing Prospero’s bidding on the island is Ariel, his spirit helper (spirits roam freely on this island). Lauren Bardon gave the ethereal character a grace. She often times disappeared into the scenery (appropriate as she spied on others) and seemed to shift shapes with just the wave of a hand — the flowing material that billowed and floated like wings from her bodysuit costume allowed her to create the illusion. Kudos to costume designer Patrick Holt for that and many of the luscious costumes.

Caliban may be one of Shakespeare’s creepiest characters. He was on the island before Prospero, and was forced into being a servant to him and his daughter. Caliban is reptilian, hungers after young Miranda, is cruel and way bitter — and really, who can blame him. His misfortune — ok, he has a few — was being on the island when Prospero landed there. Charlie Hall crawled and creeped in the role.

Tyler Reser (Miranda) and Alec Williams (Ferdinand) gave the young lovers a heated innocence.

Gibbs’ direction underscored the humor in “The Tempest,” and he sliced it down to two cohesive hours.

That, the visual elements, the acting — heck, the whole production — made magic of “The Tempest.”