THE WINTER’S TALE

Review by Celia Ipiotis

Two of NYC’s most accomplished and beloved thespians, Raul Esparza and Lily Rabe, helm the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park dynamic production of The Winter’s Tale. A tragedy wrapped in a comedy, the sometimes troublesome play keeps the intertwining storylines clear and lively in the hands of director Daniel Sullivan and the strong cast.

The dissolution of a childhood friend is hard to bear. Even more so when a friend is falsely accused of adultery. This fraught beginning unfolds in waves of treachery, loyalty and finally, compassion.

The opening portrays a chilly setting devoid of human warmth. Trees dusted in snow frame a stark white set by Mauruti Evans, encased in Bradley King’s cool blue lighting. Friends since childhood, Leontes (Esparza), King of Sicily and Polixenes (Gilbert Owuor), King of Bohemia enjoy an extended 9-month visit together. Eager to return to his son Florizel (Daniel Kyri) in Bohemia, Polixenes prepares for his departure.

Leontes beseeches Polixenes to remain longer but he is undeterred by his friend’s wishes. Unwilling to accept the loss, Leontes  prevails on his wife Queen Hermione (Rabb), now 9-months pregnant, to cajole Polixenes into staying.

She succeeds by lifting her face towards his and  playfully suggesting he is her prisoner and cannot leave. Her success trips the hidden embers of jealousy raging inside Leonetes. 

Unfairly accusing his wife of adultery — with little to no evidence — Leonetes unleashes a whiplash series of tragic consequences. Lunging side to side, Esparza’s vocal range darkens and lowers blasting heinous accusations toward his wife and best friend.

By the end of the first, heart-pumping act, Polixenes flees to Sicilia with the good Camillo (Teagle F. Bougere), Hermione is jailed and reportedly expires of grief after receiving news of her distraught, young son’s death. Her newborn girl, Perdita, is whisked away to the shores of  Sicilia where the kindly Old Shepherd (Chuck Cooper) rescues her.

After intermission, bright sunlight sweetens the flowers, herbs and greenery filling the stage like a living garden. It’s 16 years later and the lovely, dancerly Perdita (Isabela Ferrer) grows up far away from the palace intrigue. In love with Florizel, who clearly thrives in her presence. They share giddy moments together until two strange men reveal themselves to be King Polixenes and Camillo. Swiftly transforming into a tyrant (not unlike King Leontes) Polixenes rips the lovers apart insisting they will not wed despite his son’s desperate protestations.

In the final act, everyone absconds to Bohemia. There, a deeply saddened and chastened King Leontes embraces his daughter and Florizel. Polixenes follows in short-order because Perdita is no sheperdess, she’s a royal.

However, the most poignant moment goes to Hermione and Paulina. Recognizing Perdita, and moved by her desire to meet her mother, the ferocious Paulina reveals a white statue of Hermione who incredibly responds to Paulina’s music.  Released from her seige of silence, Raab gracefully  speaks of her determination to live long enough to be with her daughter and chastened husband.

Raab’s speech unites an individual purity with the desolation of a mother who suffers the loss of her children. And yet, her heart is expansive enough to forgive her husband and embrace her future.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Celia Ipiotis

Photos by Joan Marcus