What happens when Shakespeare’s tale of jealousy and forgiveness meets the rhythms of the Harlem Renaissance?

At the American Shakespeare Center, director Raphael Emmanuel and music director, composer, and actor Jordan Friend have crafted The Winter’s Tale into an experience that feels both timeless and alive. In this behind-the-scenes conversation, they share how jazz, Black Bohemia, and Shakespeare’s language collided to create something unforgettable.

Shakespeare and Jazz

A Renaissance Meets a Renaissance

Raphael didn’t have to look far for inspiration.

“I wanted to create two distinct worlds between Sicilia and Bohemia,” he said. “Black Bohemia refers to a specific location in New York …  and was one of the spark plugs for the Harlem Renaissance.”

But he was careful not to let the idea take over:

“If … if your concept is too heavy then you actually lose Shakespeare’s play and it becomes something different, or the two things are in conflict with each other, like they don’t actually fit together … that’s something I was really aware of and I didn’t want that to happen.”

Instead, the Harlem Renaissance became “inspiration to help support the storytelling of this play … rather than impede it.”

The Sound of Intrusive Thoughts

Leontes’ downfall begins with a single suspicion. For Jordan, it feels familiar.

“I think in a lot of ways what it’s getting at is the sort of process of an intrusive thought and how a thought that doesn’t have any bearing in the world can take root and its presence in your mind can change your behavior if you don’t know how to recognize it and let it pass, and if you start acting on it you start creating a reality that you can’t get yourself out of.”

That descent makes the return to joy in Bohemia feel even more necessary.

“It asks the question … or tells the story that when there is a tragic event, the play might end, but life goes on,” Raphael said.

Jazz as a Bridge Between Worlds

Music was always going to be central.

“A jazz standard can have 17 chords in it,” Jordan said. “It is technically speaking in a major key but it spends most of the verse in a minor key, and it’s structured like a song that’s in a minor key and at the end of each phrase it resolves to a major chord. To me that kind of mirrors the journey of the show.”

Raphael added, “I thought you did that beautifully and it really goes back to what we were saying about supporting the storytelling as opposed to clashing with it.”

Creating Two Worlds on Stage

The Blackfriars Playhouse presents its own unique challenges and opportunities.

“It’s a space where your eyes are used to seeing Elizabethan costumes,” Jordan said. “I’m excited to see what happens when we’re in our sort of 30s era suits on that stage, I think there’s something really cool there.”

Raphael’s goal was simple:

“I direct for audiences to have a theatrical experience good, bad, or indifferent.”

Want to Hear More?

If this behind-the-scenes look sparked your curiosity about how music moves a story, join us for the next Lights On Blackfriars event:

The Music Behind The Winter’s Tale
Featuring Dr. Stacey Jocoy and Jordan Friend, Music Director and Composer
August 1 at 5:00 PM
Blackfriars Playhouse, Staunton, VA

Music Director and Composer Jordan Friend will be joined by musicologist Dr. Stacey Jocoy for a live conversation about the sound of the show. You’ll explore how Jordan created a sonic world inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and how Dr. Jocoy’s research into early music helps connect Shakespeare’s original rhythms with what audiences hear today.

Dr. Jocoy is a performer, scholar, and professor at Texas Tech University who studies how music, text, and meaning come together in performance, especially in the works of Shakespeare.

Tickets are required and available online or through the ASC Box Office.

Learn More about Lights ON Blackfriars Events

Plan Your Summer Escape

Make your visit to The Winter’s Tale part of a summer escape to Staunton, Virginia, an easy trip from Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, or Washington, DC.

(The Junction Bar & Lounge in Downtown Staunton. Photo by Madison Patterson)

Before or after the performance, stop by The Junction Bar & Lounge, Staunton’s destination where “history meets sophistication.” From French 75s and Mary Pickfords to deviled eggs and salted soft pretzels, The Junction is serving up speakeasy-style treats in honor of The Winter’s Tale’s Harlem Renaissance setting. Don’t miss this summer-only pairing of Shakespeare and sophistication.

As Raphael put it, “I want them to intersect with the show based on wherever they are entering the space from and just have an experience.”

When you step inside the Blackfriars, you’ll find a world where Shakespeare’s language, Harlem’s music, and the joy of live performance meet, so come experience live theatre for yourself.

Reserve your tickets today and see what we do with the bear.