Performers, Creators, Credits
The Winter’s Tale

Wednesday, June 5th at 7:30pm EST
Thursday, June 6th at 7:30pm EST

The DiMenna Center for Classical Music
Mary Flagler Cary Hall
450 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018

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WORLD PREMIERE: Lavagnino and Bresnick’s latest collaboration is based on one of William Shakespeare’s last great plays, The Winter’s Tale is a story of improbabilities, loyalty, love, and forgiveness. At times a comedy and others a tragedy, the plot resides in a patriarchal society in which the role of women is constantly thwarted and limited by male dominance. However, Shakespeare’s female characters contradict the gender mores of the period. These strong, grounded women display thoughtful judgment and compassionate morality. Utilizing gesture inspired by sign language, the movement vocabulary lends itself to the fervent emotional context displayed by the performers' embodiments of joy, madness, betrayal, jealousy, and passion. Several roles are portrayed by gender opposites to the original casting; Lavagnino utilizes this device to speak to the rich and interesting dimensionality of all people and urges the audience to lean into the acceptance of these differences to embrace the distinct expression of each individual.

Performance run time: approx. 80 minutes, brief pause between acts.

The creation and presentation of The Winter’s Tale has been made possible with generous support from:
The O’Donnell-Green Foundation for Dance and Live Music Commissioning Grant
The Harkness Foundation for Dance Grant

 

Synopsis of The Winter’s Tale

Act I: Polixenes, King of Bohemia, is anxious to return home after a nine-month trip to Sicily to visit his lifelong friend, King Leontes. Dismayed, Leontes begs his friend to delay his departure, but Polixenes refuses. When Leontes's pregnant wife, Hermione, succeeds in persuading Polixenes to stay, Leontes becomes suspicious that his wife has been unfaithful with his friend. His obsession grows until Leontes asks his cupbearer, Camillo, to poison Polixenes. Rather than do so, Camillo warns Polixenes. Together they flee the country, leaving Hermione and her beloved son, Mamillius, to face the King's wrath.

Act II: Leontes imprisons Hermione with no evidence against her other than his own suspicions. In captivity she gives birth to her baby girl. Leontes orders two messengers to inquire at the oracle at Delphi to prove his delusions correct. Paulina, Hermione's friend, takes the infant child to try and persuade Leontes to free his wife and overcome his obsessions. Instead, it only infuriates him further. He threatens Paulina, the child, and Paulina's husband, Antinogus. Leontes orders Antigonus to take the baby into exile. 

Act III: Weak from her childbearing, Hermione is brought to trial where her innocence is proven by a message from the oracle. News comes that Mamillius had died from distress at his mother's arrest. Hermione collapses and is taken away. Paulina soon returns with news of Hermione's death, and Leontes faces reality and remorse for his actions. 
Antigonus has a dream wherein Hermione directs him to leave the baby on a beach in Bohemia. He does this, and is then killed by a bear before he can leave. A shepherd and his son find the child and take her home. 

Act IV: At the beginning of act 4, Time, personified as a character, explains that sixteen years have passed since the exile of the infant. He mentions that Leontes mourns the loss of his wife and children.
In Bohemia, Camillo, Leontes's old cupbearer, asks Polixenes if he can return home. Polixenes denies his request. He mentions how his son, Florizel, has met and fallen in love with a shepherd's daughter named Perdita. This relationship is far below the social station of the Prince, and Polixenes is not happy. Polixenes and Camillo, in disguise, attend the feast where dancers entertain them. When Florizel and Perdita are betrothed, Polixenes reveals himself. He denounces Florizel and threatens the shepherd and his son for allowing Perdita to befriend the Prince.

Act V: Camillo, still anxious to see his homeland, helps Florizel and Perdita escape and travel to Sicily. They are followed by the shepherds, who in turn are pursued by Polixenes and Camillo. At Leontes's court, Florizel introduces himself and his beloved as ambassadors on behalf of his father. Leontes, still in mourning over his actions, welcomes the son of his former friend and his new wife. Polixenes and Camillo soon arrive, explaining Florizel's escape.
Leontes discovers that Perdita is his long-lost banished daughter. With Perdita now a suitable companion for Florizel, everyone is reunited, and Leontes and Polixenes mend their past. As the play concludes, Paulina reveals a newly completed statue of Hermione. Everyone, especially Leontes, remarks at how beautiful and realistic the statue looks. Upon Paulina's direction, music sounds, and the statue comes to life. 
Florizel and Perdita are betrothed, Leontes and his Queen are restored to one another and, as a reward for her care, Paulina is given Camillo to be her new husband.

Synopsis and overview credit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Creators

Designers

Dance Performers

Music Performers

 

Note from the Artistic Director and Acknowledgements 

I have had tremendous support as we approach these exciting performances. I have stretched enormously as a director/ dance maker, taking risks I feared to consider a few years ago and then finding myself thoroughly enjoying these creative processes. Tales of Hopper and The Winter’s Tale are born of a life-long interest and fascination with the practice of choreography and storytelling. I have been researching and creatively developing these theater dances for over 6 years in coordination and conversation with Martin Bresnick and my dancers’ through their movement invention. I wish to thank my dancers for their artistry, intelligence, and commitment. CLD’s body of work is supported by an administrative incentive that generates interest in the work lead by Corinne Hart LLC and More Canvas Consulting LLC. Corinne’s role as CLD’s Administrative Director/Artist is instrumental.  I admire her flair and brilliance as she shapes CLD’s outreach and grant-writing.  My next mention is to my extraordinary composers Martin Bresnick and Scott Killian whose music deeply enriches and informs the work, as well as the rest of our fabulous creative team, Frank DenDanto III, Karen Boyer, Christopher Metzger, and Jesse Seegers.

Special thanks to Giada Matteini, Susan Hamburger, Emily Andrews and Eden Sudan from Tisch Dance for their support of space and props.  To Debbie Chou at DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Adria Rolnik our exceptional publicist.  Thanking Patricia Beaman, and Jaime Ortega for their keen eyes and insightful creative direction.  And a heartfelt thanks to our generous, committed donors who support the funding for our CLD productions from creative development to the stage.  

And lastly, over these many years I am grateful to be surrounded by so much good will and talent and my wonderful family Chris, Terrence, and brothers Chris and Chuck.

- Cherylyn Lavagnino