Director Notes
The Winter’s Tale can almost be considered two plays: a compelling story of perceived betrayal that is basically complete, yet leaves you wondering; followed by its sequel, which provides us with the closure that we often seek, and have become accustomed to in storytelling.
The truth is, stories never end, only our involvement, participation, or knowledge of what happens next, creating an ongoing ‘Butterfly Effect’, as each decision, action, and response impacts the direction of the tale. We are the author of our own narrative, yet we intersect with others in an infinite web of humanity.
This play explores the consequences of our actions, as well as themes of loyalty vs morality, betrayal, redemption, and reconciliation. The decisions we make do not happen in a vacuum; they are a product of our experiences up until that point.
(Director Raphael Emmanuel at The Winter’s Tale Table Read 2025. Photo by Madison Patterson.)
It is easy to condemn Leontes’ jealous measures (rightfully so); yet, in his mind, for reasons known only to him, he is justified. We see a rogue in Autolycus; yet thievery is most often performed out of necessity. Camillo makes choices based on honor, no matter the potential result. Sometimes we are quick to judge and label individuals, without considering what we don’t know.
We have reimagined our setting using inspiration from Black Bohemia, another name for the Harlem Renaissance, and a time definitively impacted by an explosion of Black culture, WWII, Jazz music, Prohibition, and more. This does not change the story on the page, but seeks to draw comparisons to the already existing themes in the play. Enjoy.
– Raphael Emmanuel
