A Letter from the Director - The Winter's Tale

“A sad tale’s best for Winter. I have one of sprites and goblins.” - Mamillius, Act II, Scene i

“Apprehend nothing but jollity.” - Florizel, Act IV, Scene iv

While we cannot know the exact years in which William Shakespeare wrote each of his plays, historians place The Winter’s Tale near the very end of his life and career as a playwright. Fittingly, this play combines elements of so many of his earlier works, as you will soon see! Almost a “Greatest Hits Medley,” it blends themes of suspected infidelity, young star-crossed lovers, hidden identities, parent-child conflicts, all-consuming jealousy, and divine prophecy into a genre-warping romp through the tides of Tragedy and Comedy.

It is a psychological drama and a pastoral celebration all at once, with the stark shift occurring as we move between Sicilia and Bohemia: two regions with quite different cultures and atmospheres.

All this to say, a challenge! 

In directing this show, my jumping-off point was many hours spent stewing about magic, divine influence, and superstition, and their roles in our lives. When something in our world happens that is unexplainable to us, we each turn to different forces to find meaning in it. Some will say it was an act of God, while others seek a psychological or scientific justification. There are some who will credit bad luck and timing, and some who believe universal magic forces to be at work. Each one of us operates under a system of belief that serves as a roadmap to comprehending the incomprehensible, and while those systems may have common threads to one another, each one is penned in our own hand. 

The characters in this play are no different from us. There are three key moments in The Winter’s Tale in which something ineffable occurs, and one cannot know for sure if they were caused by circumstance or by divine intervention. I instructed the cast to form independent decisions on what their characters believe, keeping my own opinions mostly to myself. In keeping with this philosophy, the design and staging of these moments is meant to be ambiguous, inhabiting both the human and mystical realms at once. 

Shakespeare’s most famous stage direction, “Exit, pursued by a bear,” was one of these key moments, and probably the one I spent the most time considering. Some productions play it for comedy, some use a hyperrealistic bear puppet, some use abstract shadows or fabrics to emulate a fearful attack. To me, this moment is the final tragic act that allows Comedy to take over the story. I wanted our bear to be genuinely uncanny, not amusing; more creepy than frightening. Could it be a real bear, the perception of it warped by mortal fear? Or is it a vengeful spirit, punishing Antigonus for obeying the king’s wishes against his own conscience? Was his dream of Hermione just a dream, or a prophecy?

Another magnifying glass we held up in rehearsals was to the character of Paulina. She is the physician to the Sicilian court, meaning she would have advanced knowledge of medicine and healing. In a moment of anger, Leontes accuses her of being a “mankind witch” and threatens to burn her. Later, she plays a part in a hugely transformational moment. But is Paulina just a wise and patient woman? Or is she truly capable of magic?

Each character has their own beliefs, as I have mine, and as I encourage you to have yours. Are the muses of Comedy and Tragedy watching over our tale and tugging the strings? Do “divine powers behold our human actions,” rewarding honor, protecting innocence, and punishing betrayal? Or do human hearts and minds take the reins, fighting hard enough for their desires to shift the sands of time itself? Whatever you believe, “It is required you do awake your faith.” 

I hope you enjoy our Winter’s Tale.

Cheers!

Stella Connelly

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