Renaissance Now Theatre & Film specializes in freely adapting Shakespearean plays with additions of dialogue in contemporary prose. This "now speak" is used to highlight social issues, including political and moral themes, from the viewpoint of characters in the plays. Their 2025 season includes Measure for Measure and The Tempest running in repertory.
In The Tempest, the adaptation and "now speak" monologues by director Kathy Curtiss are intended to sharpen the play's themes for the modern audience. Recognizable among these are the vice of obsession and the corruption inherent in the wielding of power. The adaptation also confronts the value of knowledge and deep study in approaching any topic, and ultimately, how we can redeem time lost, which is the penalty of being vulnerable to human error.
Measure for Measure is directed by Sonja Hugo and adapted by Steven Rimke, author of its "now speak" passages. The Duke is a Duchess in this production to create a dynamic comparison of male and female power. Concerned with a clash of culture between those who ignore the rule of law and those who would enforce it, the Duchess goes into hiding to watch the public debate. Isabella the novice is fighting for her brother, Claudio. Claudio's life is forfeit for the pregnancy of his sweetheart Juliet. Ancient edicts are resurrected by the Duchess’s agent, Angelo, who exacts strict adherence to the law in the Duchess’s absence.
