The Winter's Tale at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Shakespeare's medieval fantasy is an epic journey through the seasons of life and love, the perpetual cycle of welcoming the color and joy of springtime after a winter's cold and gloom. Director Isabelle Anderson calls this play "Shakespeare unleashed," because he paints so well each character with nuances that we can recognize as timeless: A jealous king, a wronged queen, a lost child, a teenager in love. With forgiveness and faith, a pivotal character says, this broken family might yet emerge from its emotional winter to find springtime renewal and redemption. The ending suggests a miracle, and isn't that what love is? Come along for the journey, and watch out for the bear! This is the play remembered for Shakespeare's stage direction: Exit, pursued by a bear. Another special feature: Many productions cut Shakespeare's dance of the herdsmen, a rite of spring to bring fertility to the countryside. After enduring a long winter 2018, Anderson's production celebrates the arrival of spring with herdsmen and all.

Authors

• William Shakespeare