Join Stone Soup Shakespeare for our first Chicago event of our 9th Season with this magical staged reading of The Winter's Tale.
The Winter's Tale is one of jealousy and reconciliation, love and heartache, Sicilia and Bohemia, and a bear. Leontes in a fit of jealousy destroys his happy home with accusations of his wife Hermione's infidelity. His friends, his children and his wife slip through his fingers due to his stubborn insistence and years pass, leaving him alone in Sicilia to think on the error of his ways. In Bohemia, where friend Polixenes and servant Camillo have escaped to, life flourishes until Polixenes’ son Florizel falls deeply in love with a poor shepherd's daughter. Polixenes’ own anger sends Florizel running to Sicilia with his betrothed, Perdita. Time and travel reunite old friends, while forgiveness, compassion and a softening of years strive to make that which was wrong, right again.
Wyatt Kent (who cameo'd in last year's reading of ‘Twelfth Night’) directs a cast of favorite Stone Soup faces and many new-to-Stone Soup Chicago talents in this gem of a magical Shakespearean offering in the back room of the equally magical kibbitznest. Grab dinner, a sweet treat, and/or a potent elixir before or during as we tell Wintery tales this Wintery season. The reading will be complete with trivia (categories may be leaked soon),
a Growl Contest and a chance to sculpt the perfect statue.
This reading’s cast includes some previously seen by Stone Soup and some brand new (to us) readers. Enjoy all the talents of: Ashley Fox Stokes, Quinton Sledge, Haleigh Kent, Karylin Veres, Sara Jean McCarthy, Tony Thomas, Kirstie Smith, Christian Stokes and Oly Oxinfry
The reading is free, though space is limited to those who arrive first. Bears are always welcome (seriously).
Stone Soup Shakespeare brings professional Shakespeare productions and other theatrical experiences to communities for FREE. Our aim is first to approach Shakespeare’s writings as if they were new scripts, looking at them with fresh eyes and how they impact today’s audience. Our next focus is to bring these works to both under and over served audiences as a cultural offering and a way to inspire community togetherness. As we work towards these ends we also strive to educate young and old on Shakespeare, our performance practices and storytelling. We feel theater is a way to bring stories to life and showcase the breadth of the human experience in diverse and dynamic ways and we want to invite as many people to partake in these stories as we can by bringing them to “your backyard.”