By Timothy Ruppert
After a sea storm, a ship wrecks him on an enigmatic island; Ferdinand, Prince of Naples (Joshua Brelsford), follows the lure of otherworldly voices: “This music crept by me upon the waters” (1.2.390). With their current production of William Shakespeare’s late classic, The Tempest (1610-11), Quantum Theatre brings the uncharted Mediterranean and its cryptic singers to the Carrie Blast Furnaces along the banks of the Monongahela River. The result is a singularly memorable evening and a worthy valediction from Tempest director and Quantum founder Karla Boos, who, having led this ever-innovative company for almost four decades, now says farewell.
The Tempest registers myriad themes and concerns that prove as relevant today as during the reign of James the First: colonial encroachment, political instability, and the questionable wielding of power. While Quantum’s production invites us to engage thoughtfully with these issues, Boos’s interpretation focuses cardinally on the theatricality of human experience. Here, performance and stagecraft are not merely aspects of being in the world; they are pathways to authenticity, forgiveness, and revivification. Thus Prospero (Jeffrey Carpenter), the banished noble and arch-conjurer, seeks to redress the wrongs he has committed while rejecting vengeance for the crimes once done against him. In breaking his staff and destroying his spellbook, Prospero moves beyond the instruments of his theatricality to achieve realness, to become more truly human.
The considerable on-stage talent involved in this production ensures that Boos’s vision of The Tempest succeeds in all particulars. Not surprisingly, the cast excels in conveying grand ideas and passions with terrifically nuanced performances. Carpenter crafts the imperfect sorcerer with humor, alacrity, and, as the play approaches its end, sweeping presence. Carolina Vargas Romero seasons her Miranda with a joie de vivre that keeps her youthful wonderment from succumbing to capriciousness. Tomé Cousin fashions Ariel brilliantly; with their attendant sprites (Jennifer Tober, Adrienne Wehr, and Sandy York), Cousin shepherds along the musical and balletic elements of the show with the sureness of an artist for whom excellence is a matter of course. Julia Silverman (Gonzalo) is, as always, inestimable, endowing Prospero’s long-trusted compatriot with the wisdom and honest integrity that this challenging role demands. Mark Staley (Alonso), Corey Rieger (Antonio), Joseph McGranaghan (Sebastian), and Dave Mansueto (Stephano) do nicely as aristocratic castaways in Prospero’s magical realm. Jerreme Rodriguez gives us a remarkably versatile Caliban, playing the ill-served son of Sycorax with the spirit of an eager revolutionary and the soul of a reluctant poet.
Given that this production takes place outdoors, near well-traveled, siren-loud streets, and in an area not regularly peopled for nearly fifty years, the technical crew merits higher praise than my mandated word count will allow. Suffice it to say that, as a low-vision person with imperfect hearing, I feared that I would struggle to see and hear the show with the precision that it deserves. The tremendous skill of the production team soon dispelled my apprehensions. While I will mention Stephanie Mayer-Staley (scenic designer), C. Todd Brown (lighting designer), Joe Pino (sound designer), Cory F. Goddard (stage manager), Alicia DiGiorgi (assistant stage manager), James “Cubbie” McCrory (technical director), and Anthony Del Grosso (technical specialist), please know that scores of highly skilled artists and indefatigable volunteers contributed to this piece. The best way that I have to honor their work is to encourage you to attend a performance and witness it firsthand.
Beautifully realized and emotionally engaging, Quantum Theatre’s version of The Tempest qualifies as must-see theatre. Hurry, please, before these revels end.
—TR
The Tempest is playing at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, located in Rankin, PA, Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 pm through August 23, 2026. Tickets may be purchased here. Please note that all names are spelled according to the biographies, not the cast list.
Beautifully written, Tim.