The Winter's Tale Retold

Abstract

through crucial speeches early on. He may have understood nimble shifts of Berowne's mind, but he did not communicate his understanding clearly. As a result, comedy foundered when it should have been zipping along; even 4.3, a scene all but guaranteed to succeed, lacked its customary delight. This lack of verve in main plot was particularly unfortunate because Douglas Rain and William Needles, as Holofernes and Sir Nathaniel, demonstrated how very funny their linguistic play can be, even for an audience whose little Latin comes from many years back. Maraden got a much better all-around effort from Young Company in its performance of The Two Gentleman of Verona. Her interpretation of play emphasized tension between claims of friendship and those of love. This tension resurfaced even at end of play, when Valentine and Proteus celebrated prospect of One feast, one house, one mutual happiness (5.4.173) by hugging one another; noticing surprised looks of Silvia and Julia (which exchange got a big laugh from audiences), cut short their embrace in order to pair off with women. Grouping these characters together as the men and the women is not quite fair, however, for harmony of Silvia and Valentine was not shared by Proteus and Julia. She reluctantly took hand of Proteus when Valentine tried to make this happy close (1. 1 17), and sense that Julia and Proteus's relationship was slightly strained persisted until very end. That was as it should be, given 4.2, blocking of which made Julia center of interest. While Proteus (usually with his back to audience) wooed Silvia in a gallery upstage left, Julia-downstage center-spoke with Host. Shifting focus to Julia, an effect that I had not seen in any production of this play directed by a man, established forcefully impact on Julia of Proteus's betrayal, effects of which still resonated in finale. The Two Gentlemen of Verona began and ended with entire cast singing a song of love, a song urging people to follow heart/hart. The camaraderie of Young Company singing together summed up for me collective effort that went into their Two Gentlemen. Indeed, all things considered, that camaraderie marked efforts of company as a whole. Many veterans of Stratford Festival turned in splendid performances in supporting roles, so that season as a whole was one worth celebrating.