By Alice T. Carter, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Last updated: 11:48 am
Even though it's been almost two years since the filming of her performance as a cross-gendered Prospera in Julie Taymor's film of the classic Shakespeare drama and 10 months since the film's release, Mirren still has an interest in the movie's future.
She agreed to an interview to help promote Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre's benefit screening of the film this Saturday at Alumni Hall in Oakland.
Lynn Hendee, producer of "The Tempest" and president of Chartoff Productions, will introduce the film and attend a "meet-the-producer" reception that follows the screening.
Although there are some early 20th-century short versions of "The Tempest" and a number of video versions that have been televised, this version of "The Tempest" is the only full-length color version to play in theaters.
That makes it one for the ages, Mirren says.
"It's a film I want people to see and be aware of," she says during a phone interview. "The wonderful thing is that it doesn't matter how much money a Shakespeare film makes in the first two weeks. ... Shakespeare films last forever, and it's wonderful to be a part of that library of films. It has never been filmed before and that's a fantastic thing. There will be generations after generations of people discovering Shakespeare (through this film) and getting blown away by it."
In Taymor's version of what arguably is Shakespeare's last play, "The Tempest" takes place on an infrequently visited island where Prospera and her daughter, Miranda, have spent more than a dozen years after being exiled by Prospera's brother.
The isolated, magical island is home to the monstrous, devious Caliban, and Prospera uses the skills of wizardry that she has honed through study and practice to subdue and control Caliban. Her conjuring ability also comes in handy when she creates a storm that shipwrecks her enemies, and provides her with an opportunity for revenge.
"It's one of the biggest challenges of my career," says Mirren, who likes roles that take her out of her comfort zone.
"It's an incredibly complicated text, difficult to learn, and when you do a film, you have no rehearsal time," she says.
For Mirren, the 2007 best actress Oscar winner for "The Queen" and multiple-Emmy winning star of the long-time "Prime Suspect" British TV series, "The Tempest" was a chance to return to her roots in Shakespearean theater.
"I started in Shakespeare and wanted to come back to Shakespeare," says Mirren, who early in her career spent four years acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company in England. "It's great to have this great Shakespeare role as part of my CV (resume)."
Also, she adds pragmatically: "As you get on in life, there are less and less roles for women."
Among the other joys of working on the film was the opportunity to work with Taymor and a cast of performers Mirren calls "iconic." They include Alan Cumming, Alfred Molina. Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Russell Brand and Reeve Carney.
Theater buffs know Taymor for her creative work on the Broadway musicals "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark" and "The Lion King," but she's also well known as the director of movies that include "Frida" and "Titus," her film adaptation of Shakespeare's gory tragedy "Titus Andronicus."
"She's got immense energy and great vision," she says. "What surprised me is how girlie she is. She's a very womanly woman."
Although Taymor transgendered Shakespeare's male Prospero into the female Prospera that Mirren played, the actress says the change created little controversy beyond "a few fuddy-duddy theater people who might have harrumphed a bit."
In fact, Mirren says: "I suspect if women had been able to perform on stage, Shakespeare would have written it for a woman. I think it works brilliantly."
Read more: Helen Mirren enjoys her return to a Shakespearean role - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/theater/s_762680.html#ixzz1bGCgfKdb
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