The Winter's Tale is often called a "problem play" because it defies a traditional understanding of genre. Shakespeare's last four plays are Romances which blend comedy, tragedy, fairy tales, and the supernatural.
King Leontes wrongly suspects his wife of unfaithfulness, but unlike Othello, there is no Iago whispering lies in his ear. A virtuous wife is wrongly accused and condemned, but unlike a tragedy, this plot resolves with "a mature kind of happiness: the peace that comes with gaining a greater understanding of human nature, rather than the joy of youthful love and of the multiple weddings that conclude the earlier plays. The ending of Winter’s Tale may be the most bittersweet of any of the late Romances, because in this strange and strangely moving play, some actions cannot be undone, and not all losses can be restored. Nevertheless, any lingering heartache renders the forgiveness a much greater of a gift, and the consequent redemption that much more of a blessing" (A Noise Within).
One of Shakespeare's last four productions, this play is a mature family story that focuses on betrayal, loss, and forgiveness. The characters display a powerful and sophisticated range of emotions, and the foundation of the plot - whether the scene is dramatic or hilarious - focuses on moving away from fear towards faith and forgiveness.
Dr. Kathy Phipps
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G. K. Chesterton once wrote that Shakespeare’s greatest achievement was A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Get ready, Midsummer. The Winter’s Tale is about to give you a run for your money. Shakespeare never got an ending so right as he does in this play: a true happy ending, "eucatastrophe," an unmerited grace, a free gift.
Although the play is technically set in pre-Christian times, the characters seem to relate to “Apollo” in highly Christian ways: Leontes prays to him, Paulina trusts in him, Apollo’s providential will is achieved. Even the thief Autolycus, a comic “devil,” finds his schemes unexpectedly turned for good.
I asked the cast to sum up in one word: “What is this play about?” Affliction. Paranoia. Winter. Reconciliation. Restoration. Redemption. Love. Trust. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 397, Adam and Eve first sinned because they let their trust in their creator die. You can’t prove you are loved. “You must awaken your faith,” says Paulina.
It has been a pleasure to work with and learn from Kathy, Mia, and Christine: the exquisite blocking, the fun musical warm-ups, dancing!
Most of all, I reveled in exploring the play’s questions with these talented and thoughtful actors and trying to find physical ways to incarnate its themes. Why do Leontes and Polixenes try to destroy the people closest to them? If Leontes is a jealous tyrant, what led Hermione, Polixenes, Camillo, and the court to love him as much as they do? Does Mamillius foreshadow his father’s story when he begins his own winter’s tale: “There was a man dwelt by a churchyard?” What does the bear imagery signify? Paulina and Antigonus don’t seem to have children of their own: does that shape their devotion to Hermione’s baby daughter? What happened to Polixenes' wife, Florizel's mother? Is that a bond with Perdita? Are Perdita’s dreams too good to be true? How much does she need to learn to trust? How much do we?
Dr. Gwen Adams
