by Lia Scuderi
From left to right: Olivia Lomeli as Paulina, Deedee Harrington as Hermione, Joy Samuel as Perdita, Carlos Diaz as Leontes
Hidden royal identity, accusations of infidelity, forbidden love, and murder -- the fall play was a show to remember. The world of The Winter’s Tale was brought to life on stage by the incredible cast and crew who invited the audience into all of the glorious fairytale-esque imaginings that characterize many a Shakespearean setting.
In Act One, King Leontes of Sicily accuses his wife, Queen Hermione, of unfaithfulness. The queen’s baby girl, whom Leontes claims is the child of his best friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia, is abandoned as an infant and raised by a poor shepherdess. We then skip ahead 16 years to a time when Perdita (the abandoned baby) is now a beautiful young woman who has fallen in love with Polixenes’ son Florizel. King Polixenes disapproves of the match between his passionate son, the prince, and the lovely “shepherd girl.” Perdita and Florizel, fearing a forced separation from one another, escape to Sicily to marry.
The Winter’s Tale was widely enjoyed by the St. Mary’s community. The twist ending especially, made for a memorable final scene. When asked what the most interesting part was, senior Francesca Drapeau said, “Probably the ending when the queen comes to life because it was out of the ordinary.” The resurrection of Queen Hermione was not the only mystical and gripping scene of the play. The monologue of Antigonus (who was ordered by King Leontes to abandon the baby princess on a hillside), particularly his description of his prophetic dream, significantly stood out as eerily dreamlike and provided contrast to the scene immediately following in which the old shepherdess stumbles upon the recently abandoned baby in her characteristically humorous fashion.
In fact, several of the characters kept audience members glued to their seats as the story unfolded. When asked which character was most interesting, Francesca also said, “Carlos with his character arc and disposition.”
Truly, senior Carlos Diaz as King Leontes was a showstopper. Having hundreds of lines to deliver from memory is no simple task, and yet, every word he spoke was strong with emotion.
This performance took every viewer on an emotional rollercoaster- from the blind anger of King Leontes to the hilarious stupidity of the clown.
Those who participated in the play also viewed it as a great success. Junior Lillian Salasek said, “The play turned out really well, in my opinion, even in the short amount of time we had to prepare.” Lillian, who played the old shepherdess, found her character to be more complicated than first meets the eye. “I really enjoyed the dynamic I had to portray between being old and funny. It was definitely very difficult to stay in character, but the struggle helped me portray the character a lot better.”
From left to right: Joy Samuel as Perdita, Lillian Salasek as the Old Shepherdess, Ian Haines as Florizel, Zariah Garcia (behind Ian Haines) as Dorcas, Charlie Ciarametaro as the Clown, Lizzie Gignoux as Mopsa, John Engelthaler as Polixenes, Joseph Fournier as Camillo
Many of the scenes included very angry or sorrowful conversations. These more emotional scenes allowed the actors to show the range of their skills. When asked what her favorite scene was, Lillian said, “My favorite scene was when I had to yell at Ian Haines’ and Joy Samuel’s characters. It allowed me to break out of my comfort zone.” One of the most gripping elements of the show was the depth of emotion which the actors portrayed beautifully .
This show allowed the actors to demonstrate the highs and lows of human emotion in the fear and sorrow of the accused Queen Hermione and the elation of Perdita at the reveal of her mother’s statue and the finding of her true father. The audience was gripped by both the dynamic characters and the fast-moving plot. The reveal of the statute of Hermione was other-worldly. All had believed the queen was dead. Her return to life brought a tear to the eye of audience member and actor alike.
All who witnessed it would consider it a triumph.
