THEATER REVIEW: The Winter’s Tale at Shakespeare & Company
Theater
The Winter’s Tale
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kevin Coleman
(Founders’ Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, Mass., $14-$85)
A Shakespeare & Company production in two acts
Cast
Elizabeth Aspenlieder as Hermione
Jason Asprey as Autolycus
Wolfe Coleman as Young Shepherd
Heather Coulter as Shepherdess
Johnny Lee Davenport as Polixenes
Jonathan Epstein as Leontes
Leia Espericueta as Dorcas
Kelly Galvin as Perdita
Dana Harrison as Mopsa
Malcolm Ingram as the Old Shepherd
Shea Kelly as Shepherdess
Corinna May as Paulina
Josh Aaron McCabe as Camillo
Scott Renzoni as Antigonus
Doug Seldin as Dion
Enrico Spada as Cleomenes
Andy Talen as Rogero
Ryan Winkles as Florizel
Colin Young and Parker Bell-Devaney share the role of young Mamillius
Reviewed by Lesley Ann Beck
The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare is a portmanteau of a play, packing tragedy, comedy, and pastoral romance into one, all part of the enchanting new production at Shakespeare & Company. Under the inspired direction of longtime company member Kevin Coleman and with the participation of a large and gifted cast, the play offers a deeply satisfying evening of theater.
In the first act, Leontes, the king of Sicilia, (a compelling performance by Jonathan Epstein) and his pregnant wife, Hermione, played by the luminous Elizabeth Aspenlieder, are entertaining Leontes’s lifelong friend Polixenes, the king of Bohemia (the elegant 
Johnny Lee Davenport). Leontes appears to be deeply in love with his wife, but in a moment of inexplicable jealousy, he accuses her of infidelity, has her imprisoned, and commands Camillo, one of his courtiers, to murder Polixenes. Polixenes escapes but Hermione, after giving birth to a daughter, is made to stand trial. Leontes rejects his daughter as illegitimate and has her taken to a distant land and abandoned. Even with her innocence declared by the Oracle at Delphos, Hermione is judged guilty; she collapses and Leontes is told that she is dead.
Johnny Lee Davenport). Leontes appears to be deeply in love with his wife, but in a moment of inexplicable jealousy, he accuses her of infidelity, has her imprisoned, and commands Camillo, one of his courtiers, to murder Polixenes. Polixenes escapes but Hermione, after giving birth to a daughter, is made to stand trial. Leontes rejects his daughter as illegitimate and has her taken to a distant land and abandoned. Even with her innocence declared by the Oracle at Delphos, Hermione is judged guilty; she collapses and Leontes is told that she is dead.
Meanwhile, the abandoned ba
by is found by a shepherd and his son and raised as part of their family. As the second act begins, sixteen years have passed and the princess, called Perdita, knows nothing of her true birth. She falls in love with Prince Florizel, the son of Polixenes, who objects to the prince’s plan to marry a peasant girl. Thanks to some theatrical magic, the truth is revealed, forgiveness and love triumph, and all comes right in the end.
by is found by a shepherd and his son and raised as part of their family. As the second act begins, sixteen years have passed and the princess, called Perdita, knows nothing of her true birth. She falls in love with Prince Florizel, the son of Polixenes, who objects to the prince’s plan to marry a peasant girl. Thanks to some theatrical magic, the truth is revealed, forgiveness and love triumph, and all comes right in the end.
The kingdom of Sicilia seems golden at first, as Hermione, who seems to be everything that is wise and loving, offers hospitality to Polixenes. Aspenlieder as Hermione is so radiant, so good, that it is shocking when Leontes turns against her. Epstein as Leontes seems so calm and reasonable, but once jealousy takes hold, he is chilling in his fury. Determining the reason for the king’s change of heart is one of the challenges of the script; it’s one of those moments that require the theatergoer to engage willing suspension of disbelief and to accept the necessary plot device. The courtroom scene is harrowing, as Aspenlieder as Hermione, still recovering from childbirth, bravely defends herself, and Epstein as Leontes stubbornly refuses to hear her plea.
The ensemble cast is excellent. Corinna May is strong as Paulina, the advocate for the queen; Josh Aaron McCabe is passionate as Camillo; Jason Asprey is sly as the con man Autolycus; and Scott Renzoni is heartfelt as Antigonus, charged with taking the baby princess to a faraway land.
The final departure of poor Antigonus comes after what may be the most famous stage direction ever given: “Exit, pursued by a bear.” Coleman and the production designers have devised a creative and effective way to include the menacing bear.
The final moments of the first act shift the mood away from the darkness of Sicilia’s doomed court to the rescue of the infant by the two shepherds, father and son. Malcolm Ingram is the dignified, kindly peasant and Wolfe Coleman, who has an exceptional gift for physical comedy, plays his son.
The second act, set sixteen years later, begins with the bawdy, silly, and lively harvest celebration, including a pagan dance by the gentlemen of the company. Kelly Galvin is sweetly charming as Perdita, well-matched with 
Ryan Winkles as Prince Florizel. All the devices that mark a Shakespearean comedy are here, from mistaken identities, noblemen in disguise, and sexy innuendo to comical rustics, and all are played with gusto. The play ends back in the court of Leontes, and all the loose ends are tied together in a most gratifying fashion.
Ryan Winkles as Prince Florizel. All the devices that mark a Shakespearean comedy are here, from mistaken identities, noblemen in disguise, and sexy innuendo to comical rustics, and all are played with gusto. The play ends back in the court of Leontes, and all the loose ends are tied together in a most gratifying fashion.
This production of The Winter’s Tale is beautifully crafted, from the masterful direction to the moving performances to the joyful music and dance. From the depths of despair to the grace of forgiveness, this well-told tale is Shakespeare as it ought to be. [JULY 2010]
Assistants to the director, Steven Ginsburg and Renée Speltz; Sound design, Michael Pfeiffer; Music composition, Bill Barclay; Set design, Patrick Brennan; Costume design, Kara D. Midlam; Lighting design, Les Dickert; Text coach, Clare Reidy; Vocal coach, Leigh Smiley; Dance choreographer, Susan Dibble; Fight choreographer, Ryan Winkles
(Through September 5, running time is two and a half hours with one fifteen-minute intermission)
Berkshire Living managing editor Lesley Ann Beck reviews theater and music for www.BerkshireLiving.com..
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