(15)
King Of Shadows
Roberto Aguirre-sacasa
Rough Magic
by Roberto Aguirre-sacasa
Highlights
120 mins Present Day Reduced Casting (Doubling Possible) Role(s) for Teen(s) Flexible Cast Size Bare Stage/Simple Set Fantasy Costumes Comedy
Synopsis
Transplanting characters from The Tempest to present-day New York, Rough Magic is a Shakespearean action-adventure-fantasy in the tradition of Harry Potter and The X-Men that conjures a mythical, magical meta-universe in which the evil sorcerer Prospero is willing to do anything to recover his stolen book of magic – even if it means destroying Manhattan.
Luckily, New York’s defenders include a quartet of unlikely heroes: Melanie Porter, a plucky, raven-haired dramaturg with the ability to free characters from plays; Caliban, Prospero’s hunky (though not-too-bright) son; Tisiphone, a revenge-seeking Fury from Ancient Greece; and a 17-year-old lifeguard from Coney Island named Chet Baxter.
May the forces of evil beware!
Press Reviews
"Rough Magic is engaging… A highly entertaining spectacle that takes an appreciative audience across the gamut of emotions, and closes with an ominous ending that, like the best comic fantasies, sets the seeds for its sequel… There’s more than just horror – there’s romance, heroism, and plenty of camp."
— Ithaca Times
"Aguirre-Sacasa’s darkly funny take on The Tempest is a neat little juggler’s trick, a shoutout to the Bard, the theatre business, and comic books all at once; there’s a nod to the Greeks here, a hat-tip to the Broadway musical there, and shameless lifts from Shakespeare left and right. Theatre History 101, in other words, gets sliced and diced and slotted into an unrepentently meta-adventure featuring a monstrous villain, his nasty henchmen and a team of motley misfits scrambling to save the world."
— Washington City Paper
"Have you already seen every action movie that’s out this summer, and are you numb from all those car chases and explosions? Rough Magic is an adventure more original than anything Hollywood has done in years."
— Ithaca Journal
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| Prospero A sorcerer |
| Miranda His daughter |
| Melanie Porter A pretty dramaturg, raven-haired, wears glasses, 30 |
| Chester “Chet” Baxter A cute lifeguard, 17-ish |
| Ariel Prospero’s son, an enslaved spirit, blue-eyed |
| Sasia His twin sister, also enslaved, also blue-eyed |
| Tracy Melanie’s sister, heard only on speakerphone |
| Caliban Prospero’s first-born, escaped from Prospero’s island |
| Shylock Owner of the Alabaster bookstore on 12th Street |
| Caius Marcius A Roman General |
| Tisiphone A fabulous drag performer, the first Fury |
| Megaera One of Tisiphone’s back-up singers, also a Fury |
| Alecto Tisiphone’s second back-up singer, the last Fury |
| Dr. Rosemary Ridgeon A doctor at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital, British Doubling is possible. For instance, one actor can play TRACY, MEGAERA, and DR. ROSEMARY, and another actor can double as both LINDA SUMMERS and ALECTO. |
| Linda Summers A graduate student at Columbia University |
Publication
Rough Magic is a comedy play written by Roberto Aguirre-sacasa and published by Dramatists Play Service .
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Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee: Minimum Fee: $110 per performance
Restrictions: Major Markets Plus (US) / Standard Plus Add'l Postcodes (UK)
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