A Winter’s Tale @ Bard on the Beach

Very strong performances by the women, particularly Paulina, Antigonus’ wife…

Interestingly, one of the volunteers at the Bard told me this bit of trivia which I’m not sure if it’s true, but is charming nonetheless. Apparently, the only piece of stage direction that Shakespeare ever provided in his plays was in The Winter’s Tale when Antigonus, urged on by the king under pain of death to save the child, abandons the king’s rightful daughter in Bohemia, and at the end of his siloloquay.

Act III, scene iii. Exit, pursued by a bear.

Personally, I was a little disappointed no real bear took out Antigonus. Considering how many we have around here, I’m sure they could have been a little more creative. We are on the west coast after all. bears abound. And they did a fantastic job with the lightning effects which actually made you jump when they went off.

I’m constantly shocked at how good the BotB has been. A Winter’s Tale despite the problems it presents manages to hold its own in the quartet of plays.