(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex College Visual, Performing and Media Arts presents Rough Magic by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa across two weekends from March 27 to April 4, 2025. Transplanting characters from The Tempest to present-day New York, Rough Magic is a Shakespearean action-adventure-fantasy in the tradition of Harry Potter and The X-Men.

The play conjures a mythical, magical meta-universe in which the evil sorcerer Prospero is willing to do anything to recover his stolen book of magic—even if it means Manhattan’s destruction.

Lucky for us, New York’s defenders include a quartet of unlikely heroes: Melanie Porter, a plucky, raven-haired dramaturg with the ability to free characters from plays; Caliban, Prospero’s hunky (though not-too-bright) son; Tisiphone, a revenge-seeking Fury from Ancient Greece; and a seventeen-year-old lifeguard from Coney Island named Chet Baxter. May the forces of evil beware...

 The play runs 90 minutes and is directed by TJ McNeill, with assistant direction by Tom McNeill.

Performances take place March 27,28,29 at 7:00pm; March 28 at 11:00am; April 3,4,5 at 7:00pm; and April 4 at 11:00am. Tickets are available for purchase online or may be purchased at the door (cash only). Seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased at the door with cash only. The Performing Arts Center at Middlesex College is located at 2600 Woodbridge Avenue in Edison, New Jersey.

“Rough Magic is fast-paced, funny, and chock-full of theatrical references,” says director TJ McNeill. “Audiences will find out if the dramaturg—and her magical ability to bring characters from different theatrical works to life—will be able to stop Prospero and his ilk from reducing the city to ash.”

The play is recommended for ages 8 and up (it contains mild adult language and themes, suitable for older children).