ENCORES: 'The Winter's Tale' performed by Folger Theatre (2018)

Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. These ENCORES provide a way to connect and revisit the breadth of Folger offerings with a wider audience.

ENCORES presents

The Winter’s Tale
presented by Folger Theatre
by William Shakespeare
Directed by Aaron Posner***, Folger Theatre, 2018

Performed by

• Aldo Billingslea*, Polixenes
• Katie deBuys*, Hermione
• Drew Drake*, Florizell
• Liz Filios*, Musician
• Kimberly Gilbert*, Autolycus
• Grace Gonglewski*, Paulina
• Richard R. Henry*, Old Shepherd
• Eric Hissom*, Storyteller, Camillo
• Emily Kaye Lynn, Musician
• Daven Ralston*, Perdita
• Joshua Thomas, Young Shepherd, Musician
• Michael Tisdale*, Leontes

With

• Scenic Design by Luciana Stecconi**
• Costume by Kelsey Hunt**
• Lighting Design by Jesse Belsky**
• Sound Design by Patrick Calhoun**
• Production Stage Manager, Julia Singer*
• Assistant Stage Manager, Jessica Short
• Resident Dramaturg, Michele Osherow

*Actors’ Equity Association
**United Scenic Artists
***Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

Read the text of The Winter’s Tale on The Folger Shakespeare. Learn more about the production through the dramaturg’s notes or director’s notes. Read about the Liz Filios’s inspiration for the productions music here.

Read the introduction by cast member Drew Drake:

Hello, and welcome to Folger Encores. I’m Drew Drake and I am happy to speak with you. The Folger has been sharing selections from their plays, music, talks, and readings with you in this Encores series.

For this Encores selection, we are revisiting the Folger Theatre production of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, directed by Aaron Posner. This was the first production that I acted here in the Folger Theatre. And actually, to be honest, it’s one of my favorite productions, going from the cast, the community that we created, to the production, to actually performing in Folger’s space. It’s one of my most memorable moments.

In The Winter’s Tale, there’s a line “a sad tale’s best for winter,” but in the selection you are about to see we are sharing one of the most joyous scenes in the play. It’s the moment where Hermione, long believed to be dead, is presented to her family in the form of a statue. She slowly comes to life, steps down from a pedestal and reunites with her long-lost daughter.

Now I delight in pure wonder of this play. I adore the idea that love, in many forms, can connect you to different moments in your life. When you see The Winter’s Tale, there’s always something in that play that arises up to meet you wherever you are that very instant. Enjoy this moment of wonder and as Paulina says in the play, “awake your faith.” Please, join us again for these biweekly episodes of Encores, highlighting all that Folger has to offer. Thank you.

Check back every other Friday for a new “from the archives” performance, introduced by some of our favorite artists, showcasing the best of Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, O.B. Hardison Poetry, and lectures.