Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs to Present THE WINTER'S TALE, Beginning 10/19

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs will present one of Shakespeare's most intriguing plays, The Winter's Tale, directed by Taibi Magar (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs '14). With a story that is both epic and intimate, The Winter's Tale is a roller coaster ride from tragedy to romance to redemption, boasting some of Shakespeare's most beautiful poetry. Performances are Friday October 19 at 7:30PM, Saturday October 20 at 2:00pm and 7:30PM, as well as Sunday October 21 at 2:00PM in the Citizens Bank Theater, Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire Street, Providence. General admission is $10, with a $5 admission for seniors and students. Tickets are now on sale at the Trinity Rep box office, by phone (401) 351-4242, and online at trinityrep.com.

When the powerful King Leontes of Sicilia falls into a jealous and tyrannical rage, he loses everything that is important to him – his wife, Queen Hermione, and his best friend, King Polixenes. Sixteen years later, Leontes' daughter, Perdita, has been banished to the wild shores of Bohemia where she has found love. The lovers elope back to Sicilia where the tale takes a surprising turn.

"To me, this play is a thrilling exploration of betrayal and forgiveness," says director Taibi Magar, "and by the end, Shakespeare is demanding us to awaken our faith in the healing power of time."

She points out that for her the magic of the play can be found in its language. "Shakespeare is at the height of his poetry here, and yet to the modern ear, it still sounds like it was written this morning."

The cast features second-year MFA acting students Ben Chase (Leontes), Elise LeBreton (Hermione), Alex Curtis (Florizel), Catherine Dupont (Emilia), Sherri Eldin (Archidamus), Greg Fallick (Camillo), Ben Grills (Shepherd and Bear), Steven Jaehnert (Cleomenes), Sylvia Kates (Mamillius and Perdita), Tangela Large (Dorcas), Mark Larson (Clown), Zdenko Martin (Autolycus), Nikki Massoud (Time), Ted Moller (Antigonus), Carisa Anik Platt (Paulina), Matt E. Russell (Polixenes), and Bridget Saracino (Mopsa).

Taibi Magar's directing credits include Small Craft Warnings for Brown/Trinity Rep; On the 5:31 and The Upstart with Rising Phoenix Rep; Hamlet and Inhale with The Gallery Players; Rum & Vodka at Faux Real; Kindertransport, The Wake of Jamey Foster and Fran's Bed at NYU Tisch; Orson's Shadow with Outrageous Fortune and was co-director for The Dime Show with The Women's Project. As assistant, she has worked at The Alley Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, Shakespeare On the Sound and Broadway's production of Exit The King. Magar has also worked with the NYU MFA Playwriting program, LAByrinth Theatre Company and The Public Theater.

The Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Programs provides a three-year professional training program for eighteen students under the auspices of an Ivy League University and Rhode Island's Tony Award-winning theater company. Brown University's Department of Theatre, Speech and Dance is internationally recognized for the quality of its faculty and instruction. Trinity Rep, with its deep tradition of resident artists, provides powerful artistic assets and creates a firm foundation for a new generation of theater artists.

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