HAND OF TIME TOUR | SPRING SEASON
Exit, pursued by a bear.
Shakespeare’s magnificent late play is a roller-coaster ride from romance to tragedy to comedy and finally to a place of transcendent beauty that few other works of art have ever gone. “A sad tale’s best for winter,” but after unleashing a wintry tempest onto his characters, Shakespeare ultimately conjures spring’s miraculous rebirth.
Topher Embrey in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Annabelle Rollison, Josh Clark, and Kenn Hopkins Jr. in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ally Farzetta and Ronald Román-Meléndez in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Constance Swain, Ally Farzetta, and Annabelle Rollison in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Topher Embrey in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
The cast of THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ronald Román-Meléndez in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ally Farzetta in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ronald Román-Meléndez, Ally Farzetta, Madeline Calais, and Annabelle Rollison in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ronald Román-Meléndez and J.C. Long in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
The cast of THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Josh Clark, Constance Swain, and Kenn Hopkins Jr. in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Annabelle Rollison and Madeline Calais in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Madeline Calais, Annabelle Rollison, and Ally Farzetta in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Josh Clark, Constance Swain, and Hilary Alexa Caldwell in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
J.C. Long, Annabelle Rollison, and Ronald Román-Meléndez in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ronald Román-Meléndez and Constance Swain in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Ally Farzetta and Ronald Román-Meléndez in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Kenn Hopkins Jr. and Ronald Román-Meléndez in THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
The cast of THE WINTER'S TALE. Photo by Marek K. Photography.
Cast
Ronald Román-Meléndez *
Leontes
Ronald Román-Meléndez is an accomplished actor with over 30 previous roles at the American Shakespeare Center.
Ally Farzetta
Hermione
Actor and Assistant Director of MFA Theatre at Randolph College, bringing depth to each role with experience in classic and contemporary theatre.
Constance Swain *
Mamillius
Constance Swain is an innovative director whose bold vision and creative energy inspire captivating storytelling at ASC and beyond.
Annabelle Rollison *
Paulina
THIS SEASON: Caska in Julius Caesar, Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Michael Hahalyak
Antigonus
THIS SEASON: Antigonus, Servant, 3rd Lord in The Winter’s Tale; Guard in Antigone; Egeon, Balthazar, Officer in The Comedy of Errors;
Constance Swain *
Emilia
Constance Swain is an innovative director whose bold vision and creative energy inspire captivating storytelling at ASC and beyond.
Andrew Tung
Camillo
THIS TOUR SEASON: Lysander, Snug the Joiner in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Arviragus in Imogen; Connie Rivers, Ensemble in The Grapes of Wrath
Josh Clark
Cleomenes
John Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility; Banquo, Loon, Old Siward in Macbeth; Lucentio, Huntsman in The Taming of the Shrew; Nate, Banquo, Ensemble in Equivocation.
Constance Swain *
Dion
Constance Swain is an innovative director whose bold vision and creative energy inspire captivating storytelling at ASC and beyond.
Topher Embrey *
First Lord
Topher Embrey is an actor at the American Shakespeare Center. Explore his theater experience, education, and background.
Madeline Calais
Second Lord
THIS SEASON: Ensemble (Christmas Past, Tiny Tim) in A Christmas Carol
Michael Hahalyak
Third Lord
THIS SEASON: Antigonus, Servant, 3rd Lord in The Winter’s Tale; Guard in Antigone; Egeon, Balthazar, Officer in The Comedy of Errors;
Kenn Hopkins Jr. *
Polixenes
Kenn Hopkins Jr. is an accomplished actor who has brought dynamic performances to ASC, regional theatres, and screen, with captivating roles.
Josh Clark
Florizel
John Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility; Banquo, Loon, Old Siward in Macbeth; Lucentio, Huntsman in The Taming of the Shrew; Nate, Banquo, Ensemble in Equivocation.
Constance Swain *
Perdita
Constance Swain is an innovative director whose bold vision and creative energy inspire captivating storytelling at ASC and beyond.
Madeline Calais
Archidamus
THIS SEASON: Ensemble (Christmas Past, Tiny Tim) in A Christmas Carol
Madeline Calais
Autolycus
THIS SEASON: Ensemble (Christmas Past, Tiny Tim) in A Christmas Carol
Jocelyn Honoré
Shepherd
THIS SEASON Chorus in Antigone; Jailor and Old Shepherd in The Winter’s Tale; Jailor and Second Merchant in The Comedy of Errors; Spring in 16 Winters, or The Bear’s Tale. …
Topher Embrey *
Shepherd's Son
Topher Embrey is an actor at the American Shakespeare Center. Explore his theater experience, education, and background.
Annabelle Rollison *
Dorcas
THIS SEASON: Caska in Julius Caesar, Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Ally Farzetta
Mopsa
Actor and Assistant Director of MFA Theatre at Randolph College, bringing depth to each role with experience in classic and contemporary theatre.
Annabelle Rollison *
Time
THIS SEASON: Caska in Julius Caesar, Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Artistic Team
Kevin Rich
Director
Kevin Rich is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at the University of Colorado Boulder. Kevin’s interests include the accessibility of classical plays to a contemporary audience and the development of …
Thomas J. Coppola *
Troupe Manager
Thomas J. Coppola was part of the American Shakespeare Center from 2015 to 2025.
Sophia Beratta
Assistant Troupe Manager
THIS TOUR SEASON: Quince, Cobweb in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Caius Lucius, Helen in Imogen; Noah Joad, Ensemble in The Grapes of Wrath
Jessica Van Essen
Costume Designer
Jessica brings years of costume design and construction knowledge to the ASC, from dying to leather work, design to tailoring, and everything in between. Originally from southern Iowa, she has …
Josh Clark
Fight Choreographer
John Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility; Banquo, Loon, Old Siward in Macbeth; Lucentio, Huntsman in The Taming of the Shrew; Nate, Banquo, Ensemble in Equivocation.
Constance Swain *
Fight Choreographer
Constance Swain is an innovative director whose bold vision and creative energy inspire captivating storytelling at ASC and beyond.
Ronald Román-Meléndez *
Music Captain
Ronald Román-Meléndez is an accomplished actor with over 30 previous roles at the American Shakespeare Center.
Lauren Ballard
Properties Master
Lauren has been an actor at the American Shakespeare Center in 32 productions and is currently the Properties Master and Choreographer for the Summer/Fall Season. She has a BA from …
Brandon Cook
Technical Director
Brandon comes to ASC directly from Connecticut. He has worked as a Technical Director in both professional theatre and concert venues. He looks forward to working in such a unique …
Sophia Beratta
Understudy
THIS TOUR SEASON: Quince, Cobweb in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Caius Lucius, Helen in Imogen; Noah Joad, Ensemble in The Grapes of Wrath
I remember first reading The Winter’s Tale about 20 years ago and being pretty confused by it. My appreciation for it grew when I learned it was one of the last plays Shakespeare ever wrote. Here was a great playwright near the end of his life, having written masterpieces in three genres — tragedy, comedy, and history — now branching out and trying new things. All of his late plays are weird blends of drama, farce, and fairy tale, and challenge us to empathize with some extreme behavior.
I wonder how many audience members in Shakespeare’s day saw most (or all) of his plays in the order in which he wrote them. I imagine they would have evolved along with the playwright as he went through his different phases: crowd-pleasing comedies; then highly poetic lyrical plays; then darker, sadder comedies; then the great tragedies; then the really dark plays; and finally, the strange, magical, realist/absurdist experiments at the end of his career.
The Winter’s Tale is one of those experiments, a genre-defying tale of dangerous minds and powerful hearts. It’s the story of a storyteller and the double-edged sword of a strong imagination.
A while back, a friend of mine had a roommate in New York City who lived in great fear of a national or global disaster. She was always on high alert, scouring the news for clues. She was frighteningly prepared for anything: her cabinets were stocked with water and canned food, she had a bag packed with two weeks of clothes, and her hall closet contained a full-body Kevlar suit in the case of nuclear war. I often thought, “Is this person driving herself mad, connecting dots that aren’t actually there, or is she going to survive us all?”
This play asks a similar question, I think. When does fear serve us and when doesn’t it? It also asks questions about faith and forgiveness. Is it unwise to trust someone who doesn’t trust us — or is it brave, and necessary?
What I like best about Shakespeare’s plays is the reminder that people have been human this whole time. And with these late plays in particular, I like to think at the end of his career exploring the wide, sophisticated range of emotions that drive our actions, our playwright may have landed upon which emotions we should allow to take the wheel.
Kevin Rich
Guest Director
Stuff that happens during the play
- Leontes, the King of Siceilia, has been entertaining his childhood friend, Polixenes, the King of Bohemia, for nine months. Leontes asks his pregnant wife, Hermione, to persuade Polixenes to delay his departure.
- Suddenly, Leontes is overcome with jealousy and believes that Hermione has been having an affair with Polixenes.
- Leontes orders his councillor Camillo to murder Polixenes. Camillo warns Polixenes and they escape to Bohemia.
- Leontes calls for Hermione’s arrest. He agrees to ask the god Apollo (through the Oracle at Delphi) to declare his wife’s guilt or innocence.
- While jailed, Hermione delivers a baby daughter, and Paulina plans to bring the infant to Leontes and plead with him. Meanwhile, his son, Mamillius, falls ill.
- Leontes tells Paulina’s husband, Antigonus, to abandon the infant girl “to some remote and desert place.” The Oracle’s messengers arrive and declare Hermione innocent.
- Leontes rejects the declaration and immediately learns that Mamillius has died. Hermione collapses and is pronounced dead. Leontes begs Apollo’s forgiveness.
- Antigonus arrives in Bohemia with the baby; a bear attacks and kills him. A shepherd and his son find the baby.
- Sixteen years pass, and the baby, Perdita, has grown up in the shepherd’s home.
- Polixenes, suspecting his son Florizel is in love, disguises himself to spy on the situation.
- Autolycus, a musical scoundrel and pickpocket, tricks the shepherd’s son.
- Polixenes discovers his son is in love with a “shepherdess” (Perdita). Camillo helps the young lovers flee back to Sicilia.
- Unions, reunions, and wonders ensue…