Directorial Concept
This production of The Winter’s Tale is conceptualized in the near future as a world that has brokered a global peace. The play divides its acts and scenes across three cultures: The formal play begins in Sicily, after all the characters have enjoyed (with the audience) an international arts and culture festival. Sicily, still located in Italy, is now the center of an expanded western world, while Bohemia is located in an expanded Middle East and balanced in an equipoise between two divided cultures: one situated in wealth and privilege and the other rooted in the ancient pastoral tradition of the Roma (Gypsy). The contrasts between the palace and the countryside are considerable. The play's action begins in 2026 in Italy. Later, it jumps in time (sixteen years) to 2042 and travels to Bohemia, which over time has once again become the more traditional of the two societies. We witness significant and unanticipated transformations in these two cultures over time resulting from the personal lives of their leaders. The journey of each of the characters’ personal lives significantly affects the worlds they govern. Shakespeare tells us many things in this play about human folly, especially the dangers of unchecked jealousy and demonstrates how whatever damage is done against another can be cured in time through the magic of forgiveness and the transcendent power of love.
The world of Sicily (Sicilia) is a Judeo-Christian nation-state, a masculine, culturally centric world animated and amplified by a fusion of original cultural music.
The world of Bohemia is a peaceful and consolidated Arab nation-state, traditionally masculinist in the palace and predictably agrarian in the countryside, animated by soothing and lively Andalusian flamenco folk guitar.
These two nation-states are experiencing a peaceful time after many years of conflict. These two cultural worlds are not unlike our own today for they inhabit many eras at once, while adjusting to new technologies and daily conveniences that are contrasting and conflicting with old traditions. As catalyzing ideas, mores, laws, and emotions (of the characters) begin to clash with one another, the human flaw of frailty manifests and progresses the play's inciting action into a tragedy. This descent into crisis is born out of an innocent display of affection, which is mistaken for a betrayal. Once the idea is planted, the frail human heart of the King of Italy becomes stubbornly wounded, and in response to his misguided judgment, he wrecks havoc on his land, his people, his lifelong boyhood friend, and his loving family, resulting in what he believes to be the complete destruction of his wife, child, and newborn baby. The play's premise renders one stark fact for the audience to consider: How the brokering of a world peace amongst governments does not anticipate or prepare its citizens, especially leaders operating within cocoons of privilege, to understand that maintaining peace in the world requires maintaining a peaceful nature within oneself and extending that to one’s family, friends and community. Thus, the most important theme of our play is revealing how the brokering of a peace across the world is a delicate process and one that can easily be fractured or even broken while there remains a lack of inner calm and reflective thought in its leaders.
Throughout rehearsal, we have spoken often of the conflict in Syria. Actual life portrayed inside art as art replays life. The tyranny Leontes inflicts upon his wife, children, and loyal friends has a ripple affect on everyone in his life, court and country, reminding us that this affliction of heart is an example of human nature at its very worst and remains a most troubling and perpetuating condition of the world. It remains my contention that The Winter's Tale is a most suitable play for discussions of war and peace and progressive activism in the 21st century, especially in the contested cultural arena of women.
Lastly, the main characters stand as metaphors for our life cycle. Leontes is the season of winter, for he kills all that is dear and precious to him. Perdita is the season of spring, for she rebirths that which is lost. Paulina is the season of summer, for she provides continual warmth to her friends. And, lastly, Hermione is the autumn, for she provides the harvest to all whom she loves. The Winter’s Tale is sad tale that jumps in time and space into a quantum field of love, transforming all the wrongs done into a newly configured world of cooperation, gratitude and respect.
I hope you, our audience, will enjoy our play. It is delivered to you with great passion and commitment…and with a collective heart.
The world of Sicily (Sicilia) is a Judeo-Christian nation-state, a masculine, culturally centric world animated and amplified by a fusion of original cultural music.
The world of Bohemia is a peaceful and consolidated Arab nation-state, traditionally masculinist in the palace and predictably agrarian in the countryside, animated by soothing and lively Andalusian flamenco folk guitar.
These two nation-states are experiencing a peaceful time after many years of conflict. These two cultural worlds are not unlike our own today for they inhabit many eras at once, while adjusting to new technologies and daily conveniences that are contrasting and conflicting with old traditions. As catalyzing ideas, mores, laws, and emotions (of the characters) begin to clash with one another, the human flaw of frailty manifests and progresses the play's inciting action into a tragedy. This descent into crisis is born out of an innocent display of affection, which is mistaken for a betrayal. Once the idea is planted, the frail human heart of the King of Italy becomes stubbornly wounded, and in response to his misguided judgment, he wrecks havoc on his land, his people, his lifelong boyhood friend, and his loving family, resulting in what he believes to be the complete destruction of his wife, child, and newborn baby. The play's premise renders one stark fact for the audience to consider: How the brokering of a world peace amongst governments does not anticipate or prepare its citizens, especially leaders operating within cocoons of privilege, to understand that maintaining peace in the world requires maintaining a peaceful nature within oneself and extending that to one’s family, friends and community. Thus, the most important theme of our play is revealing how the brokering of a peace across the world is a delicate process and one that can easily be fractured or even broken while there remains a lack of inner calm and reflective thought in its leaders.
Throughout rehearsal, we have spoken often of the conflict in Syria. Actual life portrayed inside art as art replays life. The tyranny Leontes inflicts upon his wife, children, and loyal friends has a ripple affect on everyone in his life, court and country, reminding us that this affliction of heart is an example of human nature at its very worst and remains a most troubling and perpetuating condition of the world. It remains my contention that The Winter's Tale is a most suitable play for discussions of war and peace and progressive activism in the 21st century, especially in the contested cultural arena of women.
Lastly, the main characters stand as metaphors for our life cycle. Leontes is the season of winter, for he kills all that is dear and precious to him. Perdita is the season of spring, for she rebirths that which is lost. Paulina is the season of summer, for she provides continual warmth to her friends. And, lastly, Hermione is the autumn, for she provides the harvest to all whom she loves. The Winter’s Tale is sad tale that jumps in time and space into a quantum field of love, transforming all the wrongs done into a newly configured world of cooperation, gratitude and respect.
I hope you, our audience, will enjoy our play. It is delivered to you with great passion and commitment…and with a collective heart.