The Winter's Tale

Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, more than 30 plays and about 10 histories. So it stands to reason that not all of them are gems. The Winter’s Tale feels as if the Bard had an unfinished tragedy, half a comedy and a longing for a bouncy musical number. The result is a little disjointed. The first half features the jealous and paranoid King Leontes (Grant Turner), whose rush to judgment leaves a good portion of the cast dead by the end of the act, including one poor fellow who gets devoured by a bear. The second act goes for laughs with the lighthearted buffoonery of peasant shepherds and a less-than-honest peddler. True love prevails and a miracle is thrown in for good measure. But the cast handles this grab bag of Shakespearean devices admirably, delivering polished and entertaining performances, particularly a heartrending monologue by the besmirched Queen Hermione (Anne Sorce) as she stands trial. Die-hard Shakespeare fans should be pleased to catch the infrequently staged production, while non-aficionados may just be perplexed. Is winter coming?

Where: Shoe Box Theater
Phone: 971-244-3740
Address: 2110 SE 10th Ave.
Website: http://www.nwctc.org/index.html