by William Shakespeare
Translation: Ion Vinea

Artistic direction: Alexandru Colpacci
Scenography: Tatiana Manolescu Uleu
Musical illustration: Cornel Pop
Premiere date: May 24, 1975

Shakespeare's famous "The Winter's Tale" is a tragicomedy set in an imaginary world of all possibilities, in which Bohemia has a seashore, and the ancient oracle of Delphi coexists with Renaissance sculptors. The first three acts, dominated by tragedy and turmoil of conscience, depict the events at the court of Leontes, King of Sicily, occasioned by the visit of his good childhood friend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia. After nine months spent in complete harmony, Polixenes prepares to leave. He remains adamant to his friend's pleas to extend his stay in Sicily, but he gives in as soon as his wife urges him to stay with them. Leontes falls prey to a baseless jealousy and nothing can shake him from his blindness: he orders the poisoning of Polixenes, who escapes with the help of the courtier Camillo, he sends Hermione to prison, he refuses to believe the words of the Delphic oracle, which refutes his suspicions. Moreover, he plots the loss of the little girl born to Hermione in prison, believing that she is the fruit of his wife's infidelity. At the trial, Hermione and his son, Mamilius, die of a wicked heart.

From this point, during the last two acts, the tone of the play becomes bright, miracles, coincidences or simply the kindness of people intervene, through which all the king's mistakes are remedied. The noble girl, named Perdita, is abandoned on the coast of Bohemia, where she is found and adopted by a shepherd. Sixteen years later, a beautiful love story begins between Perdita and Florizel, the son of Polixenes. Discovering the love of the young people, King Polixenes condemns their relationship, not knowing Perdita's noble origins. With the help of the same humane Camillo, the two take refuge in Sicily, where Leontes had spent all his days mourning his family destroyed by his own mistakes. A series of revelations restores the harmony of the beginning: the gentle Perdita discovers her royal ancestry, which allows her to marry Florizel, and a statue depicting Hermione turns out to be the queen herself. Polixenes forgives Leontes for his unjustified jealousy, so that friendship, virtue, kindness and patience find their happy crowning.

Distribution:

Leontes:  Ion Tomorrow
Mamilius:  Theo Cojocaru
Camel:  Nicholas Thomas
Antigone:  Jean Sandulescu
Cleomenes:  Marcel Segărceanu
Polyxene:  Marcel Popa
Florizel:  Laurian Jivan
Archidamus:  Ion Abrudan
An old shepherd:  Dorel Urlățeanu
The clown:  John Martin
Autolycus:  Nicolae Barosan
Hermione:  Eugenia Papaiani
Lost:  Mariana Vasile
Pauline:  Simona Constantinescu
Emilia:  Doina Urlățeanu
Pug:  Mia Popescu
Dorcas:  Florence Manea
The officer:  Grig Schiţcu
A lady from the court:  Anca Miere Chirilă
Time:  Eugen Harizomenov

Technical director: Dalma Simionescu
Prompter: Rodica Branea
Lighting: Vasile Blejan
Sound: Dorel Olea