A potent Prospero is a must for “The Tempest” to be see-worthy. The Classical Theatre of Harlem’s summer serving of Shakespeare has found one with Ron Cephas Jones — whose take on the embittered hero is a pleasant contrast to the Public Theater’s just-wrapped run in Central Park.
A stage vet with credits that include “Of Mice and Men” and “Richard III,” the wiry and intense Jones cuts a fierce physical presence as the exiled duke who conjures a storm and spirits to even the score with the sibling who marooned him and his daughter, Miranda (Kimberly Chatterjee).
Director Carl Cofield sets his vision in the Caribbean, so Jones is dressed like a voodoo priest and looks as hard as the isle’s rocky bluffs. He has piercing eyes and a supple voice that moves from seductive purr to ferocious growl. Jones brings a sharp, clear focus whenever he’s on stage…
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