"This is a most majestic vision," the character of Ferdinand says in Shakespeare's "The Tempest." The line is fitting for the new Artists' Repertory Theatre production that opened Friday and continues through March 10.

The atmosphere in the intimate space at the California Arts Academy Theater is thick, rich and magical: burlap-covered stairs dominated by the projection of a big, yellow moon; scraps of wood scattered about like detritus on a beach; throw pillows tossed on the periphery upon which audience members can sit. With mesmerizing songs by such groups as Dead Can Dance, original music by Austin Frost, a quartet of belly dancers and a smoky, seductive lighting design by Ben Holley, there's a sense of gritty sand and gauzy heat. On a limited budget, the production's design packs a powerful punch. The show feels like you walked into the tent of a desert harem.

The production is well-conceived if uneven in terms of acting and execution. Director Adam Meredith does a nice job of building up the play's spine of revenge; you begin to root for Prospero (played here by a woman, Jennifer Hurd-Peterson) and her campaign to avenge the wrongdoing that brought her and her daughter to this island in the first place.

As Prospero, Hurd cuts an imposing figure: eyes lined in red, her platinum-blond hair in a severe bowl cut, a deep purple gown suggesting regal robes. I ended up intrigued and impressed by Hurd's hard, caustic characterization and even buy the directorial concept that with Hillary Clinton running for the White House, it's appropriate to see tough women in positions of power on stage.

Other standouts in the cast include Brandon Linder as the slippery Sebastian, Luis Ramentas as the solid Alonso and S. Eric Day as the usurping Antonio.

There is some tedious business in this "Tempest," particularly the storyline involving Trinculo (Michael Peterson, King Alonso's lost jester), Stephano (Hal Bolen, a drunken butler) and Caliban (a hard-working Brett Gipson, a native of the island enslaved by Prospero.) With its drink and buffoonery, this storyline's nod to the Commedia dell'Arte style is difficult to stage without fatiguing the audience, and the three actors struggled at times to make it anything more than humdrum.

Still, there are a lot of good things going on here. it's nice to see a local, community production of Shakespeare shoot so high -- and look so good.

"The Tempest" continues through March 10; some performances are considered part of the Rogue Festival. A version of this review will appear in the theater commentary in Friday's Weekend section.