Caliban by the Yellow Sands

Percy MacKaye

Read by LibriVox Volunteers

Caliban, the primitive, savage son of the witch Sycorax and the evil frog-tiger god Setebos, seeks to obtain knowledge and become civilized from a strange magician named Prospero and his young daughter, Miranda. Through fantastic visions (including of Shakespeare plays), poetry, song and dance, thus begins the slow, gradual education of a inquisitive brute as he faces enlightenment and wicked temptation.

Serving as a thematic companion piece and maybe spiritual prequel and midquel to William Shakespeare's The Tempest, Caliban by the Yellow Sands was a massive, elaborate and outdoor "community masque" performed from 1916-1917 in New York and Boston as part of the three-hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare's death. Preaching an anti-war message in response to the current events of World War I, it was a smashing success, as it was seen by over two hundred thousand spectators and utilized 1500 amateur artisans and actors to bring its giant vision to life. Summary by Mary Kay

Cast List:

Narrator: Amelia Chesley
Caliban: Craig Franklin
Miranda: Kieren Metts
Prospero: ToddHW
Ariel: Kristin Gjerløw
Voices from Below / Power of Setebos / All / The Dirge / The Soldiers: Tomas Peter
Voices from Within / Spirits of Ariel / All / The Chorus: MaryAnn
Sycorax / Cleopatra / Juliet / War / The Voice / Mrs. Page: Sonia
Cressida / Charmian / Perdita / Lust / The Emperor / Mrs. Quickly / The Spirit of Time: Lian Pang
Antony / Troilus / Horatio / Benvolio / Adam / Sir John Falstaff: alanmapstone
Pandarus / Ghost of Caesar / Hamlet / Mercutio / Lorenzo / The Duke / Sir Hugh Evans / King Henry the Fifth: Larry Wilson
Attendant / Brutus / Florizel / Marcellus / Romeo / Orlando / Pistol: Dafni Ma
Eros / The Boy / Lucius / Death / Jacques / Mrs. Ford: Leanne Yau (2 hr 56 min)

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