Production Language English
Country of Origin England, United Kingdom
Description Sand falls from a celestial hourglass as a pajama-clad boy, playing with his wooden toys, squeezes his eyes shut -- a child's refuge from the night's terrors, and just one of many unforgettable images punctuating a powerful Winter's Tale. This gripping production markes the return of director Edward Hall, who with his all-make UK troupe, Propeller, made their American debut at BAM last year with a masterful, passionately rendered Midsummer Night's Dream (since then, New York has been treated to Hall's blood-soaked Rose Rage and his Brodway debut with A Streetcar Named Desire.
Devoted to performing Shakesepeare per the style of his day (when the boards were not allowed bo be trod by women), Propeller tackles this late romance with typical brio -- displaying delightfully skewed gender-bending and making no attempt to disguise the performers' undeniable maleness.
Classified as a comedy, The Winter's Tale is perhaps best described as a fairy tale for grownups with its untrusting king, banished infant princess, man-eating bear, statues coming to life, and more. Its characters are complext and conflicted. Its themes are grand, dealing with jealousy, redemption, and reconciliation. And though it all ends relatively well, enough bad things occur to give the work a bittersweet twist. As realized by the expert cast, the play takes on a refreshing levity while revealing the stunning cruelty at its core.
Identifier 2005f.01061
