Shakespeare in the Park, presented by the Public Theater, on Wednesday, July 7.
Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale is a strange play—a sometimes ungainly mash-up of Othello and Romeo and Juliet with a dash of The Tempest for good measure—and I, for one, consider the Tempest elements the most alluring. Storms and shipwrecks, curses and prophesies and seemingly impossible restorations, give The Winter’s Tale a fantastical, fairy tale quality.
Aesthetically, Michael Greif’s production captures that quality well, leaping off the play’s whimsical mishmash of cultural and historical references (the Emperor of Russia and the Oracle of Delphi together at last!) with gorgeous costumes, sets, and props of no particular time, blending the West and Middle East with glorious abandon. The Oracle is accompanied by both thuribles of incense and a pair of Whirling Dervishes. Breathtaking puppets bring to life flocks of birds and predatory bears. The production looks like a fairy tale made flesh, but doesn’t feel like one, not really. Despite the compelling performances, the Tale stays earthbound precisely when it should take flight.
Much Review About Nothing 