King Leontes is convinced his wife, Hermione, is having an affair with his good friend and neighboring king, Polixenes. Despite the urgings of his court, Leontes’ jealousy drives him to order Polixenes killed, imprisons Hermione, and charges a knight with abandoning his newborn daughter in on the craggy shores of Bohemia. All is not lost as the princess is found and raised by a shepherd and his son as Perdita. Now a young shepherdess, she is proposed to by the Prince of Bohemia, which sets off a series of events that lead to love and forgiveness.
This production heightens the magical elements of the story by launching it into a high fantasy setting, a la Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. Many characters are re-imagined as witches, oracles, and even hobbits, though the performances remain intense and grounded. Grief is palpable, joy infectious, and jealousy bitter.
Caesar returns triumphant from his civil war, but his ambition threatens the Republic. Some believe that the only recourse is his death, but their short-lived success simply leads to further bloodshed.
This fast-paced, modern-set production blends pre-recorded videos, livestreams, and live performance to imagine how the character of Julius Caesar would weaponize today’s technology to obtain power through persuasion. It directly confronts many of our current crises not by connecting its characters to specific individuals or administrations, but rather the power they draw upon from outrage-driven algorithms, fact-challenged social media influencers, and reality-altering generative artificial intelligence.
Portia, and others - Madison Cuartas Soothsayer, and others - Hadassah R. Nelson Octavius' Servant, and others - Emily Parr Lepidus, and others - Kanoelehua Perreira Cinna the Poet - Emily Wright Plebian - Emma Hydron Plebian - Erin O'Hara Plebian - Romyn Sabatchi Plebian - Kyle Conner Flavius - Ixchel Lopez Marullus - Brando Cutts