By: Amanda Meade Tatum

The audience begins their journey on a ship, where they are joined by the royals, who are on their way back from Tunis. After a series of unexpected events, the audience is taken to a mysterious island, to experience a fully realized telling of what is thought to have been Shakespeare’s final play. From the moment the audience steps into this world, they are given the opportunity to explore the island and solve a series of puzzles to understand the play’s themes and characters before the play begins. It’s quite exhilarating.

From the moment you step into this world, Ben Donenberg makes certain that everything you know of the outside world is left behind. Donenberg’s interactive set gives you an enchanted world where the play’s characters immerse you into their world. (I highly recommend for you to get an early boarding pass when you pick your time slot to have more time to experience the island games), overall the immersive aspect is breathtaking.

The Tempest will remind audiences of Shakespeare’s early work. The story focuses on themes of forgiveness, obedience, betrayal, and love which Donenberg’s brings to light in creative staging. The two-hour show with a 15-minute intermission feels lengthy, but all performers make the journey easy to follow with over-the-top performances and blocking that transforms well in the space. In General, Shakespeare’s work is complicated to understand and can feel dull at moments, but everyone on stage in this production places all their energy to tell this story respectfully and magically. Stand-out performances include Chris Butler as Prospero, (Standing Ovation performance) Jin Maley as Ariel (dominates the stage left to right), and Kay Sibal as Miranda (truly a Disney Princess). Audiences are to take one or two lessons home.

The Tempest: An Immersive Experience runs through April 16 at Shakespeare Center LA, 1238 West First Street, Los Angeles CA 90026. To buy tickets, click here