From stepping stone to stepping stone
MICHAEL SMITH World Entertainment Writer, 02/09/2003
Richard Bentz (left) is the Old Shepherd and David Jefferis is the Clown in the Midwestern Theater Troupe’s production of Shakespeare’s “The Winter's Tale” at the Nightingale Theater. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
Shakespeare's 'Winter's Tale' combines tragic intensity with comic grace
The chill is still in the air, and "A sad tale's best for winter," according to one character in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale," another of the Bard's classics that refuses to be pigeonholed into a single, descriptive category.
Is it a tragedy? A comedy? A romance? The simple yet ambiguous answer is -- yes. This work is as notable for its tragic intensity as for its comic grace and rich poetry.
"I just know that I think the play is very regenerative, that people will leave feeling renewed," said John Cruncleton, who directs the Midwestern Theater Troupe production that opens Thursday night. "I think it's delightful."
It does begin delightfully in this tale of jealousy, death, resurrection and redemption, a story of rogues, clowns, a tempest and a marauding bear.
The audience is introduced to Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, who has for several months been the guest of Leontes, the King of Sicilia, and his wife, Hermione. The couple has asked him to extend his stay, and he agrees.
But this decision is soon followed by Leontes being seized by unreasonable jealousy, believing his queen is having an affair with his childhood friend. When Hermione later bears a daughter that Leontes believes is not his own, the King orders the child to be abandoned or killed.
The terrible events that follow in this five-act epic lead Leontes to repent his accusation and live his life in mourning, but as 16 years pass, unusual events in Bohemia ultimately lead to a type of fairy-tale ending.
This is the third foray into the world of Shakespeare, following its December 2000 production of "Cymbeline" and December 2001 presentation of "Coriolanus," both also directed by Cruncleton.
"I just think that the three kind of make an interesting triad, kind of reflecting each on the other, each one dealing with feminine imagery in a way that I find interesting," Cruncleton said. "In 'Cymbeline' and 'Winter's Tale,' you've got the idea of the daughter who's cast out and wanders, going through a simulation of death and then returning to reinvigorate the father's line. In 'Coriolanus,' you imagery, as the mother of Coriolanus is very domineering and controlling, and she has an unhealthy influence on Coriolanus and ends up, to a certain degree, feeding him the bile that sends him to his death.
"It wasn't anything specific. There's no linear thing. It was just that the three plays resonated in a certain way, and I wanted to try to do them. I'm not the same person that I was when we started this. I don't think about Shakespeare in the same way. It's kind of like finding a path and jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone; you can start anywhere with Shakespeare."
Cruncleton directs a cast including Larry Latham, Sara Cruncleton, Randy Whalen and Dale Sams. Amy Wilson serves as stage manager and Jeff Whitlatch is the technical director.
Michael Smith, World entertainment writer, can be reached at 581-8334 or via e-mail at michael.smith@tulsaworld.com
What: "The Winter's Tale," Shakespearean tragedy presented by Midwestern Theater Troupe
When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, also 8 p.m. Feb. 20-22
Where: Nightingale Theater, 1416 E. Fourth St.
Tickets: $5, may be purchased by calling 583-8487 [As of February 2007, 633-8666]