It is, therefore, fair game for adaptation, and the version now playing at Lord Leebrick Theatre gives the play an intriguing, if not totally successful, interpretation.

As adapted and directed by John Schmor, the production uses only six actors. The script is shortened, rearranged somewhat. And Prospero seems like a brand-new character, younger than usual, controlling and not quite sane.

If you've never seen "The Tempest," it would be helpful to read it before seeing this production. Adaptations that give actors multiple roles are often confusing. Fortunately, "The Tempest" has fewer characters than most of Shakespeare's plays, so once you get used to the doubling, it's quite clear who is who.

The plot is simple in action but complex in meaning. Prospero was once the duke of Milan. When he neglected his duties in order to study, his brother Antonio usurped the throne and sent Prospero and his tiny daughter Miranda into exile on a remote island.

Now, 12 years later, Miranda is an innocent young woman who has never seen a man other than weird old dad - until handsome young Ferdinand washes ashore in a shipwreck. Ferdinand's father, King Alonso, Antonio and Gonzalo, a good-hearted aide, reach shore at another part of the island.

Prospero, who has learned to manipulate occult elements, gains control of the situation with the help of Ariel, a bird-like spirit, and Caliban, a monstrous half-demon. Here's where the staging gets interesting.

Since Ariel is a spirit, presumably without a body, in this version Prospero channels him/her (no body, no gender) through Miranda. That bit of doubling works well as performed by Kimberly Bates, partly because Prospero's scenes with Ariel take place when no one else is around.

Combining Ferdinand and Caliban is a less successful concept, although the roles are clearly distinguished by Christopher Hirsh. Why a young prince like Ferdinand would have a shaved head is beyond me, except that it works for Caliban, making him resemble a salamander or a snake, something that comes out of the ooze.

I imagine Schmor is telling us there may not be a world of difference between a fine, loving man and a monstrous subhuman creature who aspires to become more like a man, or at least enjoy man's benefits.

Prospero, played with a rock star intensity by Leon Johnson, is such a strange devotee of the magic arts that it's almost conceivable the dukedom would be better off under his brutally ambitious brother. What good is learning if it isn't used for the betterment of the community?

This shortened version, running 90 minutes without intermission, maintains all of the play's most famous lines and many of Shakespeare's provoking ideas, But at times, there isn't quite enough time to absorb the propositions set before us.

Nevertheless, the Lord Leebrick production creates a well-integrated vision of a fantastical world. The artful set looks as if it is constructed of driftwood, planks from ships and rotting sails.

The lighting design by Brian Davies gives it an underwater aura.

Tattered, stained costumes by Barbara Embree add to the ambiance, and the sound design by Joey Bargsten provides eerie music of the spirits and frightening storms.

The talented cast never disappoints. Johnson is always riveting, but the others ably hold their own. Richard Leinaweaver as Alonso, Steven Wehmeier as Antonio and David Stuart Bull as Gonzalo speak with lovely contrasting voices in their scenes together.

Dorothy Velasco of Springfield reviews theater for The Register-Guard.

THEATER REVIEW

The Tempest

What: An original adaptation of the William Shakespeare play

When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Dec. 2-4 and Dec. 9-11; 2 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 5

Where: The Lord Leebrick Theatre, 540 Charnelton St.

Tickets: $8 to $16 through the theater box office, 465-1506