UMKC Theatre concludes the successful 2011-2012 Season with a tale of undying love and the frightening effects of passionate jealousy in Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale.” Directed by Barry Kyle, this season finale is updated for today’s world and provides a fascinating contemporary twist on Shakespeare’s drama. It will preview April 20-23, and run April 24-29 at the Helen F. Spencer Theatre, Olson PAC. Opening Night (also Media Night) is Tues., April 24, and the discounted Industry Night is Mon., April 23.
Audiences will be captivated by Kyle’s perspective on the sudden and blinding jealousy that drives one of the main characters, King Leontes, to banish his lovely wife, Queen Hermione, and their infant daughter and attempt the murder of his good friend King Polixenes. Years will pass and grief will turn to joy when the family is unexpectedly reunited, a new love blooms and a friendship is renewed.
Cast and Artistic Team
The main roles in “The Winter’s Tale” are played by:
Greg Brostrom (King Leontes) is originally from Newton, Iowa. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he lived and worked in New York City as an actor and lighting designer before moving to Kansas City and UMKC. He has appeared in “White Sangria” by Arika Larson during the 2011 KC Fringe Festival, with the Kansas City Actors Theatre in “Oh What a Lovely War,” “A Christmas Carol” with the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, and as Richmond in “Richard III” with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival. In addition, he has appeared in several UMKC Theatre productions including Deramo in “The King Stag” and Libanus in “The Comedy of Asses.”
Rufus Burns (Polixenes) is originally from West Palm Beach, Fla. He holds a B.A. in Acting from Purdue University where he had the opportunity to play roles such as: Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet,” Paul in “Six Degrees of Separation,” and 20/20 Mike in “Riff Raff.” After graduating from Purdue, he went on to pursue his MFA in Acting at UMKC where he has performed in such shows as: “Pericles, Prince of Tyre,” “The King Stag,” “Slammed! KC Speaks out on the Recession,” “Train to 2010,” and “Comedy of Asses.” Kansas City credits include: “A Christmas Carol” with the KC Repertory Theatre, “Macbeth” with the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, “The Wrestling Season” with the Coterie Theatre, “Ruined” with the Unicorn Theatre, and “Titus Andronicus” with The Living Room.
Kelly Gibson (Queen Hermione) hails from Denver, Colo., where she received her B.F.A. from CU-Boulder. Last summer, she appeared at Kansas City Actors Theatre as Lulu in “The Birthday Party,” at Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival as Muriel in “Ah, Wilderness!” and Silvia in “The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” While at UMKC, several favorite roles include Hermione in “The Winter’s Tale,” Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Clarissa in “The King Stag,” and Gloria in “ShootHorses.” She has also appeared in productions with Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, KC Fringe Festival, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival. This summer, Kelly will appear at Riverside Theatre as Portia in “The Merchant of Venice” and Phebe in “As You Like It” followed by Gloria in the London production of “ShootHorses” at Arcola Theatre.
Eva Biro (Paulina) is a third-year MFA acting student. Her credits include the UMKC productions of “ShootHorses,” Trudy in “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” Miss Julie in “Miss Julie,” “Train to 2010,” “SLAMMED! KC Speaks Out on the Recession,” and the Kansas City Actors Theatre’s co-production of “Oh What a Lovely War.” This summer she was seen in a production of “Shakespeare’s In Love” with Calgary Public Theatre in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
“The Winter’s Tale” is directed by Barry Kyle, an Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Founding Artistic Director of Swine Palace Productions in Louisiana. He was the first Artistic Director of the RSC’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Mr. Kyle has directed more than 30 productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company. These include “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” “Measure for Measure,” “The Two Noble Kinsmen,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” “Richard II,” “Edward Bond’s Lear,” and Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus.” His work has been seen in London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Jerusalem, Moscow, Warsaw, Melbourne, and Singapore. He has been twice nominated for Olivier Awards as Best Director for his RSC productions of Shakespeare’s comedies in London. In New York he directed an off-Broadway production of “Henry V” which was awarded the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Revival. Also in New York City, he adapted and directed “Henry VI,” which won a Drama Desk Nomination as Outstanding Revival. He has directed many major British actors including Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart, Kenneth Branagh and Ben Kingsley. He was the first Western director to work at the National Theatre in Prague where he directed Shakespeare’s “King Lear”. He was awarded “Director of the Year” by Britain’s Daily Mail in 2006.
Ticket Information
For tickets, call the Central Ticket Office at (816) 235-6222 or purchase online at www.umkctheatre.org (additional fees apply with online ticket purchase).
