A summertime Shakespeare performance in a New York City park is nothing we haven't seen before, but putting on a nude production of The Tempest is a new twist. Following a successful run in Central Park, which was called ""brave and beautiful," the mostly-nude show is moving to Prospect Park for free performances today through Saturday.
The Brooklyn production is produced by the Torn Out Theater; consulting director Alice Mottola had previously explained the reasoning behind getting rid of the traditional garb thus: "The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s best-known and best-loved plays, but we want the audience to see it through fresh eyes, as ‘something rich and strange,’ the way an audience four hundred years ago would have."
We recently asked Mottola and director Pitr Strait about their production, the reaction they're getting, and the oglers that are likely drawn to this type of performances.
There's been a lot of attention about your Central Park shows earlier this year—how has that felt? It's been exciting! Our initial run received more attention than we had expected, which was thrilling, but also a lot to take in at once. This time around, we've been more prepared not only for the quantity of news pieces that have been published about the show, but also the variety. Some publications are interested in discussing the artistic nature of the piece, while others jump to saying "parents are outraged!" even though we've never heard any complaints from parents. After all of the internet commentary that sprang up around the show, we've produced a video of the cast reading some of the best (and worst) comments that are out there:
So, for what must be the umpteenth time: Why nude? And why female only? The aim of this project is to be a small step in a much larger process of normalizing the female body in a non-sexual context. To do that, we had to use nudity as an integral storytelling tool. Using Shakespeare's text, we've built a world where nudity makes sense; the inhabitants of the island live far from society, free from danger, and have no need for clothing. Conversely, the castaways who wash up on shore must make the discovery on their own that their ornate, restrictive clothing is utterly out of place in this weird, wild world. Full nudity is allowed in New York State if it's part of an artistic exhibition, so the only permit we need is a permit to perform a play. One of the issues we're interested in is the odd fact that we are allowed to be naked as long as we're reciting verse within certain permitted hours, but as soon as our play ends, our bodies become criminalized again.
As for why it's an all-female cast: although body positivity is an important issue for everyone, it affects different genders in different ways. We wanted our production to convey a clear and specific message, so we chose to focus on female nudity for The Tempest. We want to demonstrate that women don't choose between having their bodies be hidden or be sexualized, that bodies can simply tell a story. We hope to explore issues surrounding body image for all genders in future productions.
Kara Lynn, left, as Ferdinand, and Marisa Roper, as Miranda (Kathy Willens / AP)
Do you think Shakespeare would have supported nude performances in his time?
Well, the censors in those days wouldn't have allowed either nudity or women actors, so even if Shakespeare would have supported our performance, it would never have been allowed to be staged in public. And that's one of the reasons we're so thrilled that we can do this play today, and that we have the freedom of expression to make an artistic statement that we believe in without fear of censorship.
How have audiences reacted? We've had very positive reactions from audiences so far. Many reported that a few minutes into the show, the nudity didn't feel strange or shocking anymore, and they were able to watch the show for the story in a way they didn't necessarily expect to. One of our favorite audience reactions was: "I only came for the nudity, but that was really good!"
Are you getting oglers? We've certainly had people stop and watch for a minute or two when we've been rehearsing in the park—but that happens with most outdoor rehearsals. Theater is pretty eye-catching in any form! At the Central Park production, we had a few people trying to sneak in photos, but they were pretty good about putting their cameras away when we asked.
I read your FAQ for parents—what do you think the biggest misconception people might be have about your production? People might think this is just a gimmick to get attention, or that naked women are just a way to get butts in seats. Aside from the fact that all performances are trying to get attention (performing usually doesn't work without an audience, after all), this isn't just exhibitionism. The way we tell stories should match the story we're telling, and our Tempest is a story of freedom, transformation, and acceptance. People might be shocked at first, but we hope our audience will be transformed as well, no longer seeing nudity as distracting or shocking by the end of the play, and maybe even becoming more comfortable with the concept of nudity in general.
We've also run into the misconception that what we're doing is illegal, and that we're risking getting arrested, but in fact, full nudity is legal in New York State if it's part of a play or other exhibition. We talked to the local police precinct and the Parks Department about the nudity in our production, and they've been friendly and supportive of the show.
Are you ready for Prospect Park? Definitely! It's been a great challenge to re-stage the play in a new location, especially because our production makes lots of use of the natural park setting. It's been worth it, though; Prospect Park has such a magical, untamed feeling to it, and it's been a thrill to embrace that energy as we build the wild world of Prospero's island. Plus, we're excited to be in a new borough, and bringing the play to a whole new audience.
Are you considering any new nude interpretations of works in the future? This production marks the launch of a new theater company, Torn Out Theater, and for our next show we plan to do something very different from naked Shakespeare. We do have a secret dream I'll let you in on, though: someday, we want to look at contemporary male sexuality through a nude production of that most brutal of 17th Century tragedies, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. We have a million ideas for that show, but only time will tell if it ever actually comes to pass!
Torn Out Theater's The Tempest has free performances at 5:30 p.m., September 7-10, at the Music Pagoda in Prospect Park
