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Detritus from ages of shipwrecks wash up on the shore of an uncharted island. Ariel, a spirit of the island, collects instruments found among the debris, and uses them to manifest magical power in service to their master - Prospero.
When Prospero’s enemies arrive on the island, they careen toward vengeance while Arial searches for a way to use this musical magic to steer toward forgiveness instead.
The journey from betrayal to forgiveness is a rare one, as the letting go of such pain and rage can feel anathema as death, requiring a miracle, a tectonic shift, or in this case:
A sea change
The lyrics come from The Tempest text mainly, of course. I also draw from Othello (II, i), The Winter’s Tale (III, iii), Antony & Cleopatra (II, ii), Sonnets 18 and 116, and the documentary Square Dance Caller: The Legend of Larry Ward, along with my own inventions here and there.
This was written during November of 2024. It was produced by the Colorado Shakespeare Festival for their 2025 season, directed by Kevin Rich.
