By Kimberly Rau
Trinity Rep opened “The Winter’s Tale” in late February, and, unsurprisingly, it’s a fantastic rendition of one of Shakespeare’s most unusual works.
Briefly, King Leontes of Sicilia has it all: Beautiful wife, lovely son, good friends, a whole kingdom to call his own. It’s not enough. As the young prince says, stories told in winter must be sad, and so it is. Leontes’ irrational jealousy leads to the loss of friends, family and even his newborn daughter. And that’s just Act 1.
Act 2, set in Bohemia in the summertime, follows Leontes’ abandoned daughter, Perdita, as she navigates her future and the uncertain path love often takes. However, all roads in this story eventually lead to redemption, and our tale concludes on a lovely note, with just enough magical realism thrown in to leave some things open to interpretation.
Even if you’ve had it up to here with snow, you must make time to see “The Winter’s Tale.” It’s an unwieldy sort of script that needs a strong hand to keep it headed in the right direction, and director Ben Steinfeld does a great job doing just that.
The design team deserves credit for finding cohesiveness in a story that is anything but at times. For instance, “Winter’s Tale” contains the absolutely baffling stage direction “exit pursued by a bear,” the kind of surreal thing that makes you wonder what Shakespeare was going through when he wrote it. I’ve seen productions handle this a number of ways, but Trinity wins for most creative interpretation, led by movement designer Shura Baryshnikov.
Costume designer Toni Spadafora-Sadler offers a somber, monotone Sicilia, which makes the contrast with Bohemia’s bright, fun, and sometimes outright nonsensical, themes really pop. Set designer Edward T. Morris has created a sort of modular art studio that shifts between worlds and gives a subtle nod to the play’s denouement.
And last but certainly not least, there are the actors. I’ve said before that the real surprise would be experiencing a bad performance at Trinity, and that’s no exception now. But everyone seems to have taken things up a notch, and even the smallest scenes are played to the fullest, giving plenty of opportunity to be swept away in the moment. Most actors are doubling up on roles as well.
Stephen Thorne plays a stubborn, emotional King Leontes, and does a good job making sure the man’s insecurities are not lost on the audience, even as he doles out unspeakable cruelty to those he supposedly loves the most. Then in Act 2, he returns as the hilariously ridiculous shepherd who finds Perdita. Rachael Warren as Queen Hermione is everything Leontes is not. Hermione is strong, not one for exaggeration, but is unafraid to stand up for herself. Warren does an excellent job with the role, as well as some smaller parts in Act 2.
Two smaller roles really stole Act 2 for me. First, Mathieu Myrick as the shepherd’s son proved even the simplest lines can bring the house down when delivered properly. Rebecca Gibel is flat-out hilarious as the con artist/clown Autolycus, possibly my favorite interpretation of the role ever. And Omar Robinson as the ill-fated Polixenes is the king of strong reactions.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg in this fantastic show, played by a truly extraordinary company of players. Once you dig out from the snow, make your way over to Washington Street and catch this beautiful tale before it closes. It’s playing in rotating repertory with “The Roommate,” another gem, so check your calendar before making your plans (better yet, see both).
“The Winter’s Tale” runs through March 22, 2026, at the Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington St., Providence. Tickets may be obtained at the box office, online at trinityrep.com or by calling 401.351.4242.
