The Winter’s Tale

The Winter’s Tale follows Leontes, King of Sicilia, as he convinces himself that his pregnant wife, Hermione, is having an affair with his visiting childhood friend, Polixenes, now the King of Bohemia. Leontes’ jealousy leads to Hermione’s imprisonment, Polixenes’ return to Bohemia, and a series of events that nearly ruin him and his kingdom. When the story shifts from Sicilia to Bohemia , the stage is transformed from the traditional proscenium to a more organic, in-the-round arrangement that invites the audience to move with it.

Director John Castro believes the changing stage helps create an experience that’s “immediate, close and palpable for the audience.” Castro, who has directed over 20 plays, including As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing for The Compass Rose Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., wants “everyone to be brought into the way we live on stage.”

This lively, new production of the Bard’s classic tale of jealousy, faith and redemption features live original music, composed by Luke Mitchell (composer for Hipgnosis Theatre’s Measure for Measure and senior editor at Harper’s Magazine). HTC’s recent production of Measure for Measure was lauded for its “style, intelligence and most importantly, emotional honesty” by Theatrescene.net while The Villager said it “providing comic relief in the face of dark truth.”