On a wasted island in perpetual sun, the Father practices magic, laments his lost kingdom and commands a ragtag army of three: the passionate and damaged Daughter, the winged Spirit and an indigenous being known only as C. Behind their uniforms — white suits and full-face paper masks — the soldiers seethe with rebellion.
The arrival of the Boy, a hapless prince, and the Brother, the Father's rival, unleashes desire, betrayal, insanity and revenge — all of it witnessed by an irate sea.
Paper Crusade is a bold reinvention of Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. Michelle Penn's vivid imagery and startling, sensual language create an unforgettable dystopia for our own time.
A visionary, intertextual journey that takes us far beyond standard retelling or response to Shakespeare. Penn brings new life to the characters here, with an incantatory power that threatens to lose us in the words and the waves but always takes us somewhere captivating and unexpected.
Luke Kennard, 2022