Considering that it is set outdoors and has many scripted references to wilderness, it's only natural that "The Tempest" is one of the Shakespeare plays most frequently performed on a lawn during the summer. The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company has the added advantage of staging it against the imposing backdrop of the stabilized ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute in Ellicott City.

This enjoyable production makes the most of its pastoral setting through such staging tactics as the recorded sound of thunder so persuasive it might have you scanning the sky for signs of a real thunderstorm. Although a recent performance on a beautifully clear night never provided genuine reason to worry about rainy weather, that recorded thunder did underscore the extent to which Shakespeare's story relies upon stormy weather.

Prospero, the former Duke of Milan, lives in exile on a desolate island with his daughter, Miranda, who has had such a literally sheltered existence that she's never seen other people. The only exception, if you can call it that, are the two creatures who are subordinate to Prospero's magical power: Ariel, a lively spirit, and Caliban, a monstrous malcontent.

Deposed from his position in Milan by an aristocratic conspiracy, Prospero engineers his revenge by magically orchestrating a storm that causes a shipwreck involving villains from Milan and their equally conniving collaborators from Naples.

Much of the story involves the strange encounters on Prospero's island between its inhabitants and the shipwrecked party. It takes most characters awhile to get a secure grasp on who is who and who is still alive.

Shakespeare adds an affecting romance to give this mostly comic tale a sentimental quality, and he also gives it an ethical quality by transforming the revenge-driven plot into what's ultimately a story about forgiveness.

Most of the leading roles are smartly cast with actors who slip naturally into their roles. As Prospero, Michael P. Sullivan has a commanding presence that makes him fully capable of using magic to alter the course of events. A deft bit of staging occasionally finds Prospero looking down on the action from the second level of the Patapsco Female Institute. He's the master of this particular universe.

As Miranda, Annie Grier seems as sweetly innocent as one expects, and she's truly endearing when she gushes about her attraction to Ferdinand (Shaun Gould), the handsome and good-natured son of one of the villains, Alonso, the King of Naples (Gregory Burgess).

Among Prospero's less than human servants, Wayne Willinger is as filthy and hunched over as you want the bizarre Caliban to be, and he also roams off the stage often enough to turn the lawn into Prospero's domain.

This production effectively adheres to the outdoor custom of having performers romp down a grassy aisle as if it were Shakespeare Street, but director Patrick Kilpatrick should do even more of it with a play like "The Tempest." It would be a slightly scary treat for young kids in the audience, for instance, if Caliban were to get a little closer to them.

The only principal actor whose performance seems ill-considered is Ashly Ruth Fishell as Ariel. Her highly theatrical delivery sounds mannered, with diction so crisp and forceful that it hurts the play's lyrical flow. Although Ariel admittedly isn't happy about being under Prospero's spell and has spirited lines to that effect, Fishell's delivery is too strident.

The large supporting cast humorously makes this nearly deserted island suddenly seem overpopulated. Among the most engaging performances is by Colby Codding as the jester Trinculo. When he and Alonso's butler, Stephano (Jamie Hanna), verbally spar, it's like an eternally funny vaudeville act.

Storms wreck ships in "The Tempest," but the play's comic tone is like a gentle breeze wafting through the hills above Ellicott City.

The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company performs "The Tempest" in rotating repertory with "The Comedy of Errors" through July 13 at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park, at 3691 Sarah's Lane, in Ellicott City. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m. Tickets are $25, $22 for seniors and free for children 18 and younger when accompanied by a paying adult. Call 866-811-4111 or go to www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com.

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