THE WINTER'S TALE - Skylight Theatre Company

The Winter's Tale - Skylight Theatre Company

Reviewed by Amalisha HuEck

A story of overwhelming jealousy, suspicion, betrayal, loyalty, friendship, and loss is magnificently expressed in this tragicomedy of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, told in a present day infused with a great dose of music, modern wardrobe, and intriguing communication methods.

It's Christmas time; therefore, the play opens with the song, 'All I want for Christmas is You' with great singing and modern choreography. Then the story of Leontes, a tyrannical ruler, begins with his affection towards his pregnant queen at first, but then he plunges his kingdom into darkness by jealousy, negligence and despair. Consumed by delusion of unfaithfulness, as the sickness spreads through him, it overtakes his mind, and he demands his queen to be put on trial for unfaithfulness and betrayal. Leontis wants a death to be bestowed upon the queen and his unborn child, and to leave his kingdom heirless. But as we know the magic hope and forgiveness takes place and the happy ending is to follow. Leontis is cursed at first by devastating jealousy, but then enormously blessed by the end.

Swimming pool exercise tubes are used as the swords in this production, and the images of the future, in a modern-day setting, are projected on a piece of white cloth hung by rope. Such a great imagination with incredible comedic moments throughout the play expressed in a safe borderline of going overboard. They surely made us laugh. Great job to the entire cast!

The playful, funny, and enthusiastic cast members are, The King of Sicilia - Leontes, also Mariner and a Bear is powerfully played by Daniel DeYoung. Spencer Jamison is a strong Hermione, Queen of Sicilia, also Mopsa and a shepherdess. Misha Osherovich is Perdita, Princes of Sicilia/Dion, a Sicilian courtier; Mamillius, Prince of Sicilia is played by Aarush Thakkar; Polixenes, King of Bohemia is played by Iman Nazemzadeh; Floriael, Prince of Bohemia (adult)/Cleomenes, a Sicilian courtier is Israel Erron Ford;  Florizel, Prince of Bohemia (child) is Anay Agrawal. Paulina, Lady-in-waiting to Hermione/Shepherd is KT Vogt; Emilia, Lady-in-waiting to Hermione/Dorcas, a shepherdess is played by Victoria Hoffman; Sntigonus, Husband to Paulina/Valentine, Paulina's steward is Miguel Perez; Camillo, a Sicilian courtier is Shaan Dasani; Clown, son to the Shepherd/Gigi, a Sicilian servant is Audrey Cirzan and Rogero, a Sicilian officer/Musician is Quest Sapp.

'Skylight's production of The Winter's Tale is forging the first collaboration between Skylight Theatre Company and Play On Shakespeare, a non-profit organization that began as part of Oregon Shakespeare Festival's initiative to examine plays through the lens of the English we speak today, which launched in 2015 under Bill Rauch.'

Seeing Shakespeare's play in the modern setting is a true treat. The Los Angeles Production of 'The Winter's Tale' has been reimagined in an accessible modern verse English translation adapted by Tracy Young and Lisa Wolpe. Tracy Young with the whole cast truly embraces and fully dissected this tale into a fun and joyful experience. Needless to say - the structure of being in iambic pentameter is not lost at all, by Young's creative interpretation during her directing. Produced by Gary Grossman and Armando Huipe with support from the Hitz Foundation and Play on Shakespeare, the David Lee Foundation, Syzygy Foundation, and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs is highly recommended.

"Right now, the picture is bleak, and it's growing bleaker every day. The Winter's Tale offers up a story where people find hope, forgiveness, and music in the face of tyranny. It reminds us how things that die in the winter are reborn in the spring," said Gary Grossman, Skylight Producing Artistic Director.

The comfortable theatre setting with elevated seats, so everyone can see, at the Skylight theatre is greatly appreciated. With glorious production elements and strong performances, singing and dancing, accompanied by great lighting and uplifting music, the time flies by. A gentle warning: This performance includes sequences of strobe lighting and loud sounds of thunder and lightning.

The Winter's Tale opened on April 24 and runs at 8:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays; 3:00pm on Sundays; and 7:30pm on Mondays at Skylight Theatre, which is located at 1816 ½ N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Tickets are priced between $20-$42 (students: $20; seniors: $35.) There are a limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets to any performance, using code ACCESS (advance sale only).

The running time is 115 minutes, with no intermission. Street parking around the theatre is doable with some extra time to find the parking space.