By Eric George Tauber
SAN DIEGO– “It is required you do awake your faith.” To Barry Edelstein, Artistic Director of the Old Globe and the director of this production, this is the central theme Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale. Ten years ago, when he directed this play in New York, the concepts of jealousy and loss were abstract to him as he was neither a husband nor a father. Now, he is both and they hit much closer to home.
We begin with a boy, Mamillius, plinking out a tune on a tiny baby grand, what my wife calls a “plinkety plink piano,” while his loving parents look on. The tune segues to Taylor Peckham playing Michael Torke’s original score on the real thing.
We are in the palace of the Leontes, King of Sicilia, at a bon voyage party for his best friend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia. Leontes entreats his friend to tarry longer. But where his entreaties fail, his wife Hermione prevails. This sparks intense feelings of jealousy in Leontes. He begins to doubt his paternity of their son and the child she carries. So intense is his vexation that we know this can’t end well.
Tipped off, Polixenes gets out of Dodge while Hermione is put on trial in a kangaroo court with her husband as the judge. Lacking the benefit of DNA tests, Leontes sends messengers to the Oracle of Delphi to either confirm or allay his suspicions.
This insanely jealous rage where there had been brotherly affection only a moment before seems to come out of nowhere and makes Leontes a difficult character to portray. In his own words, “I am a feather to each wind that blows. Shall I live longer?”
Natacha Roi cut a striking figure as Hermione, carrying herself with a queen’s poise and stature whether she was dressed in royal silks or an orange prison gown. We genuinely feel for her plight as a woman falsely accused and imprisoned on a ranting whim.
With a flushed face and shaking fists, Billy Campbell is intense as Leontes. But his transitions happened so quickly, at times they were hard to believe. In drama, as in music, a crescendo is often stronger than a leap.
Tragedy mounts upon tragedy. The boy dies and their newborn daughter is banished and left to the elements. Thus, the entrance of the Shepherd and Clown, played by Mark Nelson and Brendan Spieth bring some much-needed comic relief.
Where Act I is a tragedy, Act II is a comedy. Sixteen years have passed and the banished baby girl, Perdita, has grown into a young woman raised by the Shepherd in Bohemia.
Florizel, Polixenes’ son and the Prince of Bohemia, is silly in love with Perdita. But she is more realistic, knowing his father would never permit him to marry her. Unfortunately, lowly shepherds’ daughters don’t have the status they did in the days of Rachel, Leah and Rebecca.
The fellow who stole the show was Paul Kandel as the rogue, Autolycus. His larger than life personality filled the house and the glint in his eye spake more than a soliloquy. His song “Come Buy” took some funny anachronistic liberties and we are bidden to join in on the refrain.
Where Paul Kandel stole the show, Michael Torke’s music just made the show. Played live by Music Director Taylor Peckham on baby grand and upright honky-tonk pianos, it was by turns intense and playful, steering the action through rough seas like the rudder of a ship.
If your idea of a night out is filled with jealousy, fear, umbridge, music, young love and laughter, Winter’s Tale at the Old Globe will deliver the whole banquet.
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Eric Tauber is a freelance writer based in San Diego. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com