"The Winter's Tale" Is A Tale For All Seasons

On Nov. 1 for an hour and 45 minutes, the George Stevens Senior Center became the land of Sicilia (Sicily) when Globe For All (GFA), the dynamic touring arm of the Old Globe Theatre, performed Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale before an appreciative audience.

Though rarely performed, The Winter’s Tale is full of appealing elements—sheep and bears, kings and peasants, young lovers and troubled parents—all featuring 10 actors playing 15 roles in the round often inches from the audience. The estimable Daniel Jáquez directs and delivers the play’s magic.

The play also contains the most famous stage direction in the Shakespeare canon, “Exit pursued by a bear.” Some productions offer an actor in bear disguise; others, like this one, handle matters with sound effects. GFA opted for bear paw fans given to the audience, which is cued to growl grizzly style in ever ascending roars. Folks loved this!

GFA’s trademarks were all on display: audience participation, youth and high spirits, ingenious set pieces moved in and out of the performance space by the actors, clever costumes and costume changes in full view of the audience, multicultural performers (African, European/Anglo, Middle Eastern, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese and more), performances trucked in to a range of spaces (school auditoriums, senior centers, libraries) and, above all, absolute commitment to the story. Needless to say, audiences are rapt.

What’s the point? Bring free, live theatre to audiences who may never have witnessed (and been part of) a classical play, or any play. GFA specializes in Shakespeare, demonstrating that the Bard remains relevant, intriguing, and understandable to modern ears, so compelling are the stories and so well trained the actors.

But The Winter’s Tale asks much of audiences. The paranoid King Leontes (Carlos Angel-Barajas in a virtuoso turn) has been married for four years to the beautiful, feisty and very pregnant Hermione (Sonia Jean Gomez, a major talent). He urges Hermione to persuade his brother, Polixenes (Eric Hagen, excellent in three contrasting roles) to lengthen his visit. She does. Without warning, Leontes explodes and accuses her of adultery with Polixenes, treats her roughly and causes the premature birth of a girl.

Leontes orders a conflicted retainer, Camillo, to poison Polixenes, who is the king of Bohemia. Horrified, Camillo (the stalwart Jared Van Heel) warns Polixenes of his brother’s deranged plan and the two men flee Sicilia.

Leontes jails Hermione, then conducts a kangaroo court in which the Oracle of Delphi pronounces her “chaste,” i. e., innocent. This compelling scene pits a reigning, but powerless, queen against a vengeful king who holds sway over his courtiers in the manner of Henry VIII, who stopped at nothing to rid himself of successive wives. This traditional take on male-female hegemony—she’s a vixen; he’s beyond reproach—gives the play a modern resonance, with courtiers and audiences aghast at the unfairness of Leontes’ accusations.

Simultaneously, we learn that the couple’s son, a bizarre child (well played by Winona Truong) and apparent chip off the old block, has died of a “wasting disease” brought on by distress over the treatment of his mother. Hermione faints at the news and later dies.

Hermione has a loyal friend, Paulina (Yadira Correa in a fiery turn), who represents Shakespeare’s pantheon of outspoken, intensely moral women (think Emilia in Othello). She brings the infant girl to Leontes, hoping the sight of her will soften him. But he explodes again and orders Paulina’s husband, Antigonus (Anthony Green, a seasoned actor who leavens the production in two key roles), to let the child die of exposure in a remote spot.

Anguished, Antigonus dreams that Hermione directs him to name the baby Perdita and leave gold and tokens of her noble birth with her. He does so, then exits pursued (and killed) by a bear while the audience growls enthusiastically. Happily, father-and-son shepherds find the baby and the gold. They raise her as their own.

Act II opens 16 years later. Perdita (Truong is back in a fetching performance) has grown into a beauty courted by Prince Florizel (the tender Jersten Seraile), who is inexplicably there among the peasant shepherds. Guess what? He’s the son of Polixenes! Governed by the strict peasant-serf-nobility hierarchy of centuries ago, Perdita warns Florizel that their engagement is impossible. But he, impetuous and in love, will brook no interference.

The annual sheep-shearing is in full swing with the entire cast present in floral attire. Here we see the gifts of Yi-Chien Lee (scenic design), Charlotte Devaux (costumes) and Abigail Grace Allwein (composer and great solo violin) in literal full flower. Guess who shows up? Camillo and Polixenes in disguise! When the latter sees his son celebrating his betrothal to Perdita, Dad explodes. Shades of Leontes! Shades of peasant-serf-nobility hierarchy! But the ever-rational Camillo, who just wants to go home to Sicilia, calms Polixenes and all embark (Shepherd Dad included) for home, the youngsters in disguise.

This is where the fairytale essence of the play emerges, with the actors’ unflinching belief in the story making it all, somehow, truer than true. The aging, grief-stricken Leontes, bereft of wife, son and daughter, has reformed. He is now a kind elder statesman. He welcomes Florizel, who is disguised as a diplomat representing Polixenes. Leontes then welcomes his brother and company home, listens in amazement to Shepherd Dad’s tale of Perdita, welcomes Perdita, and they all go to Paulina’s house for the coup-de-grâce.

Paulina, evidently possessed of other-worldly powers, has commissioned a statue of Hermione. Paulina brings her back to life before the assembled throng. In a wrenching scene Hermione greets Perdita (you have to see this to grasp the power of the performances). Florizel gets Perdita. Camillo gets Paulina. Leontes gets Hermione.

We get a lingering sense of sadness for the dead son, the years wasted in separation, and the inability of Leontes to forgive and reform until self-inflicted multiple tragedies engulf his life. But we are aided in our contemplation by an odd trope: Shakespeare includes a character named Time (Morgan Taylor, lovely), who introduces each act and concludes the story with time heals all.

The title, too, is odd. “The Winter’s Tale” also means an “old wives’ tale,” a romance that is neither comedy nor tragedy, but has elements of both, and is a story for the fireside on a cold winter’s night.

In other words, this play is perfect for GFA and its goal of bringing to audiences the things that make life worth living—art, music, beauty, literature, thought, inspiration.

Closing note: Attacking presidential women is a cottage industry in America. If you are female in the White House, expect to be vilified. Alas, at this performance the shepherds called their sheep "Melania" and "Ivanka." Big mistake. The play is already relevant and doesn’t need this reference, which flies in the face of its inherent call for justice for women. We urge director Jáquez to immediately cut this nonsense and go with the other names like "Lambchop."

GFA is on the road through Nov. 17 in locations county-wide. For locations and tickets visit TheOldGlobe.org. You'll be glad you did.