In 2014, Hogarth Press (fiction division of Random House) announced a project to mark the four-hundredth anniversary of the death of Shakespeare with retellings of the plays by accomplished contemporary writers. By 2018, seven plays had been adopted, among them Margaret Atwood’s brilliant (and mercifully non-dystopic) Hag-Seed, her retelling of The Tempest. It should appeal to MedHum readers who are interested in narrative and its applications in unlikely settings.
Felix is a gifted director at an Ontario theatre festival. He plans an exciting new interpretation of The Tempest but is unfairly ousted from his beloved position by a jealous and inadequate rival. Worse, he is haunted by grief over the loss of his daughter, Miranda who died twelve years ago.
Struggling financially, he accepts a low-paying position to promote literacy in a local prison—and hits upon the idea of using his newfound but incarcerated protégés to mount his long-planned Tempest. The project encounters financial difficulties that begin to seem insurmountable, as his hostile rival assumes an influential government position.
Moments of hilarity abound. For example, Felix convinces hardened criminals that they might crave and compete to portray such unlikely roles as the ethereal sprite, Ariel, or even the enslaved, monster, Caliban (Hag-seed), with whom the prisoners feel a special connection. Felix forbids swearing, except those oaths used by Shakespeare and the prisoners delight in creating a glossary of antiquated expletives, which they apply to everyday life. The “Correctional Players” embrace digital technologies, and choreography and plan to video their performance. Bringing a meaningful project to his initially uncomprehending, new friends becomes a reward in itself, inviting him to reconsider and move beyond his previous losses.
The result exceeds all expectations, helps to heal his grief, and with its unorthodox staging provides a delicious revenge.
Hag-Seed
Margaret Atwood
Penguin Random House, 2017: 320 pages
AI image created with prompts by MedHum.
