The Winter’s Tale
About
Based on one of William Shakespeare’s last great plays, The Winter’s Tale is a story of improbabilities, loyalty, love, and forgiveness. At times a comedy and others a tragedy, the plot resides in a patriarchal society in which the role of women is constantly thwarted and limited by male dominance. However, Shakespeare’s female characters contradict the gender mores of the period. These strong, grounded women display thoughtful judgement and compassionate morality. Utilizing gesture inspired by sign language, the movement vocabulary lends itself to the fervent emotional context displayed by the performers' embodiments of joy, madness, betrayal, jealousy, and passion. Several roles are portrayed by gender opposites to the original casting; Lavagnino utilizes this device to speak to the rich and interesting dimensionality of all people and urges the audience to lean into the acceptance of these differences to embrace the distinct expression of each individual.
Press
“An exciting interplay of societal niceties, punctuated by sign language-inspired gestures, the piece balanced humor and drama with finesse. Opposite gender casting created intrinsic tension that powered the dancers' movement, keeping the audience guessing and at the edge of their seats.”
- Broadwayworld on The Winter’s Tale
Piece Credits
Choreography by Cherylyn Lavagnino in collaboration with the dancers
Score by Martin Bresnick (in development)
Lighting Design by Frank DenDanto III
Costume Design by Karen Boyer
Gallery
Photo Credit(s): John Eng
