Having already established himself as the genius who perfected the dramatic arc, William Shakespeare upended the theatrical world when he wrote “The Winter’s Tale." It’s nearly impossible to categorize.
It's not necessarily a full-tilt drama. Yes, it's a comedy, but not throughout. Was it history's first "dramedy?
“It opens with tragedy … this intense jealousy. Then, it evolves into a romance. Then, it feels like a comedy near the end,” said actress Gina Daniels. “One of the things I love about this play is that there’s less of an arc. In a regular play, you go from A to B to C. Here it’s like A to L to Q.”
Daniels portrays Hermione, Queen of Sicily, in Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s new production of “The Winter’s Tale”. Doubly exciting is that the production has a modern verse translation, penned by Tracy Young, who also directs the play.
“When you put it all together, I think it makes an exciting dynamic and a really entertaining evening of theater,” said Young. “So, I love this play; and over the years it has been getting more productions, which I think is a good thing. It’s just a wonderful play.”
Prior to their opening on Aug. 14, Daniels and Young visited with George Prentice to talk about how “The Winter’s Tale” has been resonating with more audiences across the globe.
Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren
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