By Chelsey Herrold
CONWAY— The University of Central Arkansas will present The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare in the Bridges Larson Theatre of Snow Fine Arts Center on the UCA campus.
The production will be April 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. and April 9 at 2 p.m.
Under the direction of UCA Theatre Professor Dr. Kevin Thomas Browne, this play brings tragedy and comedy together in a tale of terrible wintry darkness and warm springtime romance. With its enduring and universal themes of love, friendship, jealousy, betrayal, illusion, death and redemption, the play is a beautiful mysterious experience, richly contributing to Shakespeare’s reputation as the greatest dramatic poet of all time.
Harrison Trigg, a UCA junior who will be Leontes in The Winter’s Tale, said that one of the biggest challenges for the cast is that “the [Shakespearean] language can be a huge barrier, for audience and performer alike, so the biggest task is to make it specific and understandable to yourself so that it can be understood and hopefully specific to the audience.”
“I’m excited for the audiences to see a work that has so many elements of fantasy, and yet I hope that they experience it realistically,” he said. “There are so many moving elements and devices in the play, which are not based in reality. Some can be taken in a very supernatural direction, but hopefully the audience can experience it as a real part of the human condition and can reflect upon their own experiences and personalities.”
Tickets are $10 for the general public and free to the UCA community. Reservations may be made by calling (501) 450-3265 or by visiting UCA Ticket Central in the Reynolds Performance Hall box office. More information is available online at www.uca.edu/theatre or by contacting Melissa Kordsmeier, UCA Theatre Business Manager, at mkordsmeier@uca.edu or (501) 450-5092.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Arts, and Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music, and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators, and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
