William Shakespears's The Winter's Tale takes on a slightly modern bent with hip and happening characters at large on the Skylight Stage. Five acts and fifteen scenes are beautifully condensed with some music and dance. It is the best version of this play I've ever seen. It pops!
We are off and rumning! The show takes no prisoners.. except. of course, for Herminone (Spencer Jamison), who is arrested and slammed in the pokey by Officer Rogero (Quest Sapp). when King Leonetes (Daniel DeYoung) gets all bent out of shape.
I mostly like The Winter's Tale for the Bear. But, there's more! It's the same old story of jealousy and .. well.. jealousy.. that drives the narrative. This production's use of really clever double and triple diversity casting and a casual embrace of the original language of the play works. The issue of the nutty King Leontes suspecting his preggers wife, Herminone of havng an affair with his pal King Polixenes (Iman Nazemzadeh ) is a stretch, but jealousy often turns on imagined slights: doubt.
Director Tracy Young's updated adaptation (With Lisa Volpe) of the story unfolds.
It's Christmas in LA and the party's going along just fine with video of the good times had by all. I learned from Skylight creative director and producer of this show, Gary Grossman, that the feeling of 'ensemble' comes from a disparate band of brothers and sisters who must have worked their buns off to bring this production to life. The beautiful set by Christopher Scott Murillo and casual cosdtues by C. Yuri Son work just fine..
It's a wicked pace with every cast member pitching in to smoothly make scene changes with nary a stitch. Another good thing? This cast is not bent on delivering 'typical' takes on the language of the Bard. Over the top interpretation and broad characteriationss fill the bill. I loved Paulina (KT Vogt ).. who shows up later as a shepherd as well.
In a nutshell.. Leontes is jealous of Hermione's affection for Polixenes , but something just puts Leontes's knickers in a twist. He puts his pregnante wife in jail, and sends Camillo (Shaan Dasani) to poison Polixenes. Leontes's son just dies! Then, Hermione gives birtrh in jail. Yadda, Yada, Yoda and Antigonus (Miguel Perez) is sent off to dump the newborn in the outback. We meet The Bear! (Pretty scary, boy! Daniel De Young)! Yay..
Stuff happens. Sixteen years flow by like a broken down dam (thank you John Prine).. Lovely Perdita (scary good Misha Osherovic) who , we learn, is the daughter of Leontes and Hermione somehow gets all giddy about Prince Florizel (Israel Erron Ford) who is, in fact. the son of good King Polixenes (Iman Nazemzadeh ).. The culture of the times doesn't work in favor of the marriage of a commoner and a royal so it looks like curtains for the couple.. but. stuff happens and the true identity of Perdita is revealed and everyone assembles and pairs up and Magic happens. (Really!!).. and the audience explodes and there's a party..
Recommended .. This is diversity in theatre at its best. Tell a friend. See this show.
“The Winter's Tale”
by William Shakespeare
In modern verse translation by Tracy Young
Adapted by Lisa Volpe and Tracy Young
Directed by Tracy Young
Produced by Gary Grossman and Armando Huipe for Skylight Theatre Company
Associate Producer for Skylight, Logan Ellis
Recommended for age 13 +
Cast:
Daniel DeYoung - Leontes/Mariner/Bear
Iman Nazemzadeh - Polixenes
Miguel Perez - Antigonus/Valentine
Misha Osherovich - Perdita/Dion
Israel Erron Ford - Florizel/Cleomenes
Shaan Dasani - Camillo
KT Vogt - Paulina/Old Shepherd
Victoria Hoffman - Emilia/Dorcas
Audrey Cirzan - Clown/Servant
Quest Sapp - Officer Rogero
Spencer Jamison - Hermione/Mopsa
Designers:
Scenic Design: Christopher Scott Murillo
Lighting Design: Brandon Baruch
Sound Design: Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski
Costume Design: C. Yuri Son
Costume Associate: Jill Landback
Prop Design: Nicole Bernadini
Fight/Intimacy Coordinator: Celina Lee Surniak
Choreographer: John Paul Batista
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Manager: Kaz Osborne
Assistant Stage Manager: Izzy Donenberg
Technical Director: Benjamin Rawls
Dramaturge: Benjamin Pryor
Associate Producer: Logan Ellis
Publicist: Kelly Hargraves & Lynn Tejada
Casting Director Victoria Hoffman
Where:
Skylight Theatre
1816 ½ North Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA. 90027
Parking information: http://skylighttheatre.org/plan-your-visit/
When:
Previews: April 18. 19 & 23, 2025
Opening: 8:00pm Thursday April 24, 2025
Schedule: 8:00 on Thursdays, 8:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3:00pm Sundays, 8:00 pm Mondays. (Schedule changes in May)
Closing: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Reservations: (213) 761-7061 or online at https://www.skylighttheatre.org/thewinterstale
Prices:
Previews $15+
Opening night tickets: $48+
Regular: $20 - $42
Students: $20
Seniors: $35
To access a limited amount of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, use a code ACCESS. Advance sale only
No comments:
Post a Comment