The Winter's Tale
4
Welcome to Cuesheet, your guide to A Watermill Theatre (UK) production by Propeller Theatre Company of selected scenes from The Winter’s Tale. Cuesheet is published by the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,Washington, D.C. The hourglass marks topics for discussion or activities you may want do with other students, friends, or family. The Propeller Theatre Company will present a demonstration and performance of The Winter’s Tale. ALL PHOTOS © ALASTAIR MUIR Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies. But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one, creating a form of drama called romance. Different from what we see in modern movie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes, comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealous destruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the play bursts forth toward spring with song, silliness, young love…and a miracle. Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies. But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one, creating a form of drama called romance. Different from what we see in modern movie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes, comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealous destruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the play bursts forth toward spring with song, silliness, young love…and a miracle.
description
Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies, but in a handful of his plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one, creating a form of drama called "romance." Different from what we see in modern movie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes, comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealous destruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the play bursts forth toward spring with song, silliness, young love…and a miracle.
Transcript of The Winter's Tale
Welcome to Cuesheet,
your guide to
A Watermill Theatre
(UK) production by
Propeller Theatre
Company of selected
scenes from The
Winter’s Tale. Cuesheet
is published
by the Education
Department of the
John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing
Arts,Washington, D.C.
The hourglass
marks topics
for discussion
or activities you may
want do with other
students, friends,
or family.
The Propeller TheatreCompany will present a demonstration andperformance of The Winter’s Tale.
ALL PHOTOS © ALASTAIR MUIR
ropeller Theatre Company from Great Britain presentsShakespeare’s plays as
Shakespeare would have, with an all-male cast. At this special demonstration,you will have the opportunity to watchthe cast members perform selectedscenes from The Winter’s Tale and hearthem talk about their interpretation of the play and how they approachtheir roles. Pay close attention to thefollowing discussions about theseaspects of their production:
❖ Role doubling, or having oneactor play more than one character
❖ Having Mamillius reappear after his death
❖ Using an hourglass in the set
Did you know that The Winter’sTale features one of Shakespeare’smost famous and unusual stage
directions—“Exit, pursued by a bear”?Each individual director determineswhether and how to show the bearchasing Antigonus after he abandonsPerdita. During the demonstration,Propeller’s cast will talk about theirunique approach. If you were thedirector, how would you stage thescene? Discuss your ideas with others.
Stephen A. SchwarzmanChairman
Michael M. KaiserPresident
Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education
The Winter’s TaleDirected by Edward Hall A Watermill (UK) production byPropeller Theatre CompanyWith support from the BritishCouncil USA
Cuesheets are funded in part throughthe support of the Butz Foundation;the Carter and Melissa CafritzCharitable Trust; Chevy Chase Bank;Citigroup Foundation; the D.C.Commission on the Arts andHumanities; Ms.Nancy J.Davis;Fannie Mae Foundation; the EllaFitzgerald Charitable Foundation;the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund;The Jacob and Charlotte LehrmanFoundation; the MackintoshFoundation; Newman’s Own; PublixSupermarkets, Inc.; Dr.Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; thePresident’s Advisory Committee onthe Arts; Prince Charitable Trusts; theHattie M. Strong Foundation; and theU.S. Department of Education.
CuesheetEditorial and Art Director:
Lisa ResnickWriter: Marcia A. FriedmanDesign: The Kirwan Company, Inc.
Cuesheets are produced byARTSEDGE, a program of theKennedy Center EducationDepartment and a member of theMarcoPolo Consortium.
For more information about theperforming arts and arts education,visit our Web sites:kennedy-center.org/educationartsedge.kennedy-center.org
Questions, comments? Write us [email protected].
© 2005 The John F. Kennedy Centerfor the Performing Arts
The U.S. Department of Educationsupports approximately one-thirdof the budget for the KennedyCenter Education Department.The contents of this Cuesheet donot necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department ofEducation, and you should notassume endorsement by theFederal Government.
The pickpocket Autolycus arrives andcharms and cheats the crowd with hissongs. Propeller Theatre Company givesthe character a new twist by having theactor wear a costume and a bold attituderesembling that of an aging rock star.
Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies.But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one,creating a form of drama called romance.Different from what we see in modernmovie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes,comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealousdestruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the playbursts forth toward spring with song,silliness, young love…and a miracle.
Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies.But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one,creating a form of drama called romance.Different from what we see in modernmovie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes,comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealousdestruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the playbursts forth toward spring with song,silliness, young love…and a miracle.
he main themes of TheWinter’s Tale are people—theiremotions and relationships—
and matters of life and death. After thedemonstration, discuss the followingthemes, characters, and situations:
❖ Jealousy—Leontes’ jealousy and what it causes
❖ Fatherhood—Leontes, Polixenes,and the old shepherd and how theyinteract with their children
❖ Friendship—The bonds betweenPaulina and Hermione, betweenCamillo and Polixenes, and betweenLeontes and Polixenes
❖ Death and Rebirth—The deaths of Hermione, Mamillius, Antigonus,and Perdita and the “rebirths” ofPerdita and Hermione
This production of The Winter’s Taleis performed by an all-male theatercompany. That might seem unusual or innovative to us today, but in fact,Shakespeare wrote his plays for actingcompanies made up of only maleactors. At the time, even thoughEngland was ruled by a woman, QueenElizabeth I, women had few rights andlimited job opportunities and were notallowed to perform on stage.
Classic romances like TheWinter’s Tale are often called tragi-comedies for the way they
combine the two types of plays. Howdo you turn a sad story into a funnyone in a single play? Try creating asummary for a five-act play. Make the first three acts tragic and the last two acts comic.
At the trial, a priest proclaimsHermione’s innocence. At first, Leontesdenies it. Then news comes thatMamillius, the royal couple’s son, hasdied in despair over his mother’s treat-ment. Hermione collapses and is takenaway. Leontes begins to recognize hismistakes, but too late, because Paulinareturns and announces Hermione’s death.Meanwhile, far away in Bohemia,Antigonus abandons Perdita and iskilled by a bear. An old shepherd findsthe baby and lovingly adopts her.
Sixteen years pass. In the Bohemiancountryside, the now-grown shepherdessPerdita is in love with King Polixenes’son, Prince Florizell. The young lovershide their relationship from the King,who would not approve. Suspicious,Polixenes disguises himself and spieson them at a sheep shearing, where thetrickster Autolycus comically sells songsand attempts to cheat the audience.Discovering his son’s deception,Polixenes angrily orders punishmentsfor everyone.
The young lovers flee to Sicilia, followed by Polixenes. With Autolycus’shelp, the old shepherd and his son follow and reveal how they foundPerdita and adopted her. The Courtrealizes that Perdita is Leontes’ long-lost heir. At Paulina’s home, the statue
of Hermione is unveiled and miraculously comes to life.
n Sicilia, King Polixenes ofBohemia prepares to return homeafter visiting his lifelong friend
Leontes, the King of Sicilia. Unable topersuade Polixenes to stay longer,Leontes urges his pregnant wife QueenHermione to try. When she succeeds,Leontes immediately suspects that sheand Polixenes are in love, and hebecomes violently jealous.
Learning from the nobleman Camillothat Leontes plans to poison him,Polixenes flees home. Leontes jailsHermione despite her protests of innocence. She gives birth to a daughter,Perdita. Hermione’s friend Paulinatakes the baby girl to Leontes in thehope of softening his heart. But, believing that Polixenes is the baby’sfather, Leontes angrily orders Paulina’s husband Antigonus to take Perditaaway and abandon her.
Main CharactersLeontes (pronounced lee-AHN-teez), King of Sicilia
Hermione (her-MEYE-i-nee),Queen of Sicilia
Mamillius (muh-MIL-ee-uhs),son of Leontes and Hermione
Perdita (PER-di-tuh), daughterof Leontes and Hermione
Camillo (Kah-MIL-oh),a nobleman
Antigonus (aan-TIG-uh-nuhs),a nobleman loyal to Leontes
Paulina, Antigonus’s wife andHermione’s devoted friend
Polixenes (puh-LIKS-uh-neez),King of Bohemia
Florizell (FLAW-ri-zehl),son of Polixenes
Shepherd’s Son (sometimesknown as the Clown)
Old Shepherd,Perdita’s foster father
Autolycus (aw-TAHL-uh-kuhs),a trickster
Even as Leontes mourns his wifeand son, the spring daffodils ontheir grave suggest possibilitiesof hope and new beginnings.
William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) wrote 38 playsand 156 poems during his lifetime. More than 400 years later, Shakespeare’s plays continue to be meaningful to directors and audiences alikethanks to their universal themes like love, guilt,power, jealousy, and healing.
Leontes lashes out at Hermione. Noticethe all-male cast, and watch how theactors perform female roles. What is yourreaction to such portrayals?
he main themes of TheWinter’s Tale are people—theiremotions and relationships—
and matters of life and death. After thedemonstration, discuss the followingthemes, characters, and situations:
❖ Jealousy—Leontes’ jealousy and what it causes
❖ Fatherhood—Leontes, Polixenes,and the old shepherd and how theyinteract with their children
❖ Friendship—The bonds betweenPaulina and Hermione, betweenCamillo and Polixenes, and betweenLeontes and Polixenes
❖ Death and Rebirth—The deaths of Hermione, Mamillius, Antigonus,and Perdita and the “rebirths” ofPerdita and Hermione
This production of The Winter’s Taleis performed by an all-male theatercompany. That might seem unusual or innovative to us today, but in fact,Shakespeare wrote his plays for actingcompanies made up of only maleactors. At the time, even thoughEngland was ruled by a woman, QueenElizabeth I, women had few rights andlimited job opportunities and were notallowed to perform on stage.
Classic romances like TheWinter’s Tale are often called tragi-comedies for the way they
combine the two types of plays. Howdo you turn a sad story into a funnyone in a single play? Try creating asummary for a five-act play. Make the first three acts tragic and the last two acts comic.
At the trial, a priest proclaimsHermione’s innocence. At first, Leontesdenies it. Then news comes thatMamillius, the royal couple’s son, hasdied in despair over his mother’s treat-ment. Hermione collapses and is takenaway. Leontes begins to recognize hismistakes, but too late, because Paulinareturns and announces Hermione’s death.Meanwhile, far away in Bohemia,Antigonus abandons Perdita and iskilled by a bear. An old shepherd findsthe baby and lovingly adopts her.
Sixteen years pass. In the Bohemiancountryside, the now-grown shepherdessPerdita is in love with King Polixenes’son, Prince Florizell. The young lovershide their relationship from the King,who would not approve. Suspicious,Polixenes disguises himself and spieson them at a sheep shearing, where thetrickster Autolycus comically sells songsand attempts to cheat the audience.Discovering his son’s deception,Polixenes angrily orders punishmentsfor everyone.
The young lovers flee to Sicilia, followed by Polixenes. With Autolycus’shelp, the old shepherd and his son follow and reveal how they foundPerdita and adopted her. The Courtrealizes that Perdita is Leontes’ long-lost heir. At Paulina’s home, the statue
of Hermione is unveiled and miraculously comes to life.
n Sicilia, King Polixenes ofBohemia prepares to return homeafter visiting his lifelong friend
Leontes, the King of Sicilia. Unable topersuade Polixenes to stay longer,Leontes urges his pregnant wife QueenHermione to try. When she succeeds,Leontes immediately suspects that sheand Polixenes are in love, and hebecomes violently jealous.
Learning from the nobleman Camillothat Leontes plans to poison him,Polixenes flees home. Leontes jailsHermione despite her protests of innocence. She gives birth to a daughter,Perdita. Hermione’s friend Paulinatakes the baby girl to Leontes in thehope of softening his heart. But, believing that Polixenes is the baby’sfather, Leontes angrily orders Paulina’s husband Antigonus to take Perditaaway and abandon her.
Main CharactersLeontes (pronounced lee-AHN-teez), King of Sicilia
Hermione (her-MEYE-i-nee),Queen of Sicilia
Mamillius (muh-MIL-ee-uhs),son of Leontes and Hermione
Perdita (PER-di-tuh), daughterof Leontes and Hermione
Camillo (Kah-MIL-oh),a nobleman
Antigonus (aan-TIG-uh-nuhs),a nobleman loyal to Leontes
Paulina, Antigonus’s wife andHermione’s devoted friend
Polixenes (puh-LIKS-uh-neez),King of Bohemia
Florizell (FLAW-ri-zehl),son of Polixenes
Shepherd’s Son (sometimesknown as the Clown)
Old Shepherd,Perdita’s foster father
Autolycus (aw-TAHL-uh-kuhs),a trickster
Even as Leontes mourns his wifeand son, the spring daffodils ontheir grave suggest possibilitiesof hope and new beginnings.
William Shakespeare (1564 -1616) wrote 38 playsand 156 poems during his lifetime. More than 400 years later, Shakespeare’s plays continue to be meaningful to directors and audiences alikethanks to their universal themes like love, guilt,power, jealousy, and healing.
Leontes lashes out at Hermione. Noticethe all-male cast, and watch how theactors perform female roles. What is yourreaction to such portrayals?
Welcome to Cuesheet,
your guide to
A Watermill Theatre
(UK) production by
Propeller Theatre
Company of selected
scenes from The
Winter’s Tale. Cuesheet
is published
by the Education
Department of the
John F. Kennedy Center
for the Performing
Arts,Washington, D.C.
The hourglass
marks topics
for discussion
or activities you may
want do with other
students, friends,
or family.
The Propeller TheatreCompany will present a demonstration andperformance of The Winter’s Tale.
ALL PHOTOS © ALASTAIR MUIR
ropeller Theatre Company from Great Britain presentsShakespeare’s plays as
Shakespeare would have, with an all-male cast. At this special demonstration,you will have the opportunity to watchthe cast members perform selectedscenes from The Winter’s Tale and hearthem talk about their interpretation of the play and how they approachtheir roles. Pay close attention to thefollowing discussions about theseaspects of their production:
❖ Role doubling, or having oneactor play more than one character
❖ Having Mamillius reappear after his death
❖ Using an hourglass in the set
Did you know that The Winter’sTale features one of Shakespeare’smost famous and unusual stage
directions—“Exit, pursued by a bear”?Each individual director determineswhether and how to show the bearchasing Antigonus after he abandonsPerdita. During the demonstration,Propeller’s cast will talk about theirunique approach. If you were thedirector, how would you stage thescene? Discuss your ideas with others.
Stephen A. SchwarzmanChairman
Michael M. KaiserPresident
Darrell M. AyersVice President, Education
The Winter’s TaleDirected by Edward Hall A Watermill (UK) production byPropeller Theatre CompanyWith support from the BritishCouncil USA
Cuesheets are funded in part throughthe support of the Butz Foundation;the Carter and Melissa CafritzCharitable Trust; Chevy Chase Bank;Citigroup Foundation; the D.C.Commission on the Arts andHumanities; Ms.Nancy J.Davis;Fannie Mae Foundation; the EllaFitzgerald Charitable Foundation;the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund;The Jacob and Charlotte LehrmanFoundation; the MackintoshFoundation; Newman’s Own; PublixSupermarkets, Inc.; Dr.Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; thePresident’s Advisory Committee onthe Arts; Prince Charitable Trusts; theHattie M. Strong Foundation; and theU.S. Department of Education.
CuesheetEditorial and Art Director:
Lisa ResnickWriter: Marcia A. FriedmanDesign: The Kirwan Company, Inc.
Cuesheets are produced byARTSEDGE, a program of theKennedy Center EducationDepartment and a member of theMarcoPolo Consortium.
For more information about theperforming arts and arts education,visit our Web sites:kennedy-center.org/educationartsedge.kennedy-center.org
Questions, comments? Write us [email protected].
© 2005 The John F. Kennedy Centerfor the Performing Arts
The U.S. Department of Educationsupports approximately one-thirdof the budget for the KennedyCenter Education Department.The contents of this Cuesheet donot necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department ofEducation, and you should notassume endorsement by theFederal Government.
The pickpocket Autolycus arrives andcharms and cheats the crowd with hissongs. Propeller Theatre Company givesthe character a new twist by having theactor wear a costume and a bold attituderesembling that of an aging rock star.
Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies.But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one,creating a form of drama called romance.Different from what we see in modernmovie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes,comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealousdestruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the playbursts forth toward spring with song,silliness, young love…and a miracle.
Playwright William Shakespeare wrote both tragedies and comedies.But in a handful of plays like The Winter’s Tale, he rolled them into one,creating a form of drama called romance.Different from what we see in modernmovie romances, a classic romance features tragic conflicts, family disputes,comic situations, and even magical or supernatural happenings. The Winter’s Tale begins with the jealousdestruction of a family. But with the passage of time, the last third of the playbursts forth toward spring with song,silliness, young love…and a miracle.
