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The Winter’s Tale

The wrath of King Leontes has gone to far after falsely accusing his wife, Hermione, of infidelity and banishing their newborn daughter. This news leads to the death of Leontes’ son and Hermione, and the king lives out the following years in anguish. But Perdita, their daughter, has been raised in Bohemia, and one day will return to her kingdom.

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Play On Shakespeare > Comedy > The Winter’s Tale

At a Glance

Love • Pastoral • Jealousy

Artists

Playwright

Tracy Young

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Dramaturg

Artist Headshot

Ben Pryor

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Productions, Readings & Workshops

The Winter’s Tale

November 11, 2024 – January 11, 2025 | 1623 Theatre Company | Production | Derby, UK

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The Winter’s Tale

July 7-17, 2022 | Portland Shakes | Production | Portland, OR, USA
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Paperback & eBooks

The Winter's Tale

By William Shakespeare
Translation by Tracy Young

Tracy Young offers a new version of Shakespeare’s difficult tale of jealousy and redemption.​

The Winter’s Tale is one of Shakespeare’s most challenging explorations of redemption and rebirth. Driven by extreme jealousy, Leontes, the King of Sicily, accuses his wife Hermione of infidelity and orders his newborn daughter to be abandoned. Sixteen years later, Leontes must reckon with the consequences of his rash decisions. Tracy Young’s version of The Winter’s Tale transforms the theatergoing experience from Shakespeare’s time to ours. This translation updates Shakespeare’s language, wordplay, and wit to engage audiences the way they would have been engaged in the early modern theater.

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Production History

Oct 7, 2018

Staged Reading

Rehearsal and Staged Reading with full cast in NYC.

Producing by:
Play On! / Holmes Productions

June 1, 2019

Play On! Festival NYC

Rehearsal and Staged Reading directed by Chris Moore with full cast as part of the Play On! Translation Festival in NYC.

Produced by:
Play On! / Classic Stage / Oregon Shakespeare Festival

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Theater Review: Portland Shakespeare Project’s Modern Translation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale

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Life is complicated. Love, trust, hope, sadness, grief, betrayal—emotions and how we experience them are seldom back and white.
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DramaWatch: A summer ‘Winter’s Tale’

By Play On Shakespeare | August 24, 2022
Portland Shakespeare Project gives a “Play On” twist to a tale of jealousy and redemption. Plus openings, closings, and a farewell to Peter Brook.
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