Tom Hanks played a FedEx employee stranded on a deserted island in the 2000 film “Cast Away.” Matthew Fox plays a doctor and plane crash survivor on the current television hit “Lost.” Now, senior theater major Katherine M. Old will play the role of the marooned sorcerer Prospero who is left stranded in the upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

The classic drama opens at 8 p.m. on Friday in the Playwrights’ Theatre of Shasta Hall.

“The Tempest” is the story of the wily sorcerer Prospero and his daughter Miranda. In a fit of jealousy the two are tossed overboard into the Adriatic Sea by Prospero’s brother Antionio only to find themselves stranded on a deserted island. When Prospero conjures his magical powers 12 years later to shipwreck Antonio and his crew on the same island, he starts a chain reaction of love, power and temperance between the adversaries.

“I love the magical elements in the play,” said Gina Kaufmann, director and theater assistant professor . “It’s partly like going to the circus because it starts with a very physically demanding and athletic storm scene and is a very active performance.”

Although adapted from Shakespeare’s classic tale, the characters in this particular version of the play may confuse many people familiar with it. This version of “The Tempest” will feature a reversal of roles as the fatherly figure of Prospero will be played by a motherly adaptation. Kaufmann said the reversal of roles will change the perspective of the play as well as the dynamics of the characters.

“Miranda is shown as the rebel and Ariel is the Uncle Tom-type character,” Kaufmann said. But Kaufmann also drew on a personal emotion and experience when developing the characters of the play. “I was pregnant with my daughter when I started thinking about the mother/daughter relationship and adapting the role of Prospero to a female.”

Kaufmann also suggested that the play would lean towards the comedic and lighter side of the circumstances and the precarious relationships between the characters.

“The show has such a magical mix of comedy and emotion,” Kaufmann said.

Another glaring difference will be the costumes featured in the play. Dailey, a theater graduate, has transformed the traditional Shakespearian attire into a modern runway of retro and Italian fashions.

“While sketching I noticed that several ’70s clothing silhouettes are actually quite similar to Elizabethan clothing,” Dailey wrote in an e-mail interview. “The end result was to start with leisure suits, maxi and mini dresses, and disco shirts, and alter them to bear a resemblance to Elizabethan costume.”

The musical portion of the play will also be entirely original. Freshman theater majors Dexter Galang and Stephanie Zito and senior theater major Jason Titus composed the soundtrack for the show which is a blend of eclectic and electric harmonies. The composition promises to create a spectacular atmosphere for the presentation.

“The biggest challenge for us was fitting the right music into the context of the scenes,” Galang said, who also plays the subservient spirit Ariel in the production. “The music really plays a fairly large role in the play. A lot of the songs drive the action and help give Ariel an otherworldly feel.”

The Tempest runs through March 5. Tickets are $15 general, $12 for students and staff and $10 for senior citizens.

Josh Huggett can be reached at [email protected]