One more thing

I meant to mention this in my last post, but forgot to include it.

I've made a choice in playing Prospero that I think bears mentioning. In the scenes with Ferdinand and Miranda, I've chosen to play Prospero with a bit of a comical edge. I had difficulty figuring out how to deliver all of the lines in Act I, scene ii, in which P expresses that it's working, and that he'll free Ariel for this - there are several of them, and some of them are fairly close together. This suggests a high degree of excitement - almost giddiness. Once I made the choice to play those lines in that way, it didn't make sense to show actual anger toward Ferdinand when threatening him. So, I decided to make it clear to the audience that I'm acting tough for Ferdinand's benefit - the text supports this, obviously. Setting this dynamic up allows for some semi-comic moments later in the show with Ferdinand, and also shows contrast to the interaction with Caliban and the brace of lords.

I think it may be an unusual choice, and i was concerned about how it would play at first, but the audiences so far have seemed to like it, and I think it's supported by the text.