We saw a matinee of the Tempest at the Smith Center. It was our first visit to this venue. I can't give a review of the auditorium because the play was held in an outdoor tent. Everything was well organized. They had parking attendants to show you where to go and plenty of staff to answer questions and direct you to the venue, restrooms, refreshments, etc.
The production was good. The scenery, costumes and the fact that it was held in a tent reminded me of a vaudevillian acting troop. They even had sawdust on the floor. The performances overall were strong with the exception of the actress who plays Miranda. We thought that her approach was a bit broad and her facial expressions were too over the top and prolonged. I understand that it is Shakespeare but the whole production was trying to take a fresh approach on the material and her portrayal took me out of the moment. Two stand outs were the actors who played Ariel and Prospero. The musicians added to the moodiness and the main vocalist had great range.
One cool twist to this is that it is produced and co-written by Teller (of Pen and Teller). So they were able to expertly blend Magic into the story and dialogue. You will get your fair share of levitation and slight of hand tricks
One side note, we sat so close that we could see several actors spitting out their heartfelt speeches. I guess it's the price you pay for good actors projecting their dialogue!