'Madonna of the Cat': Everyday emotions, abandoned child, and, oh - a talking bear * Oregon ArtsWatch
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'Madonna of the Cat': Everyday emotions, abandoned child, and, oh - a talking bear * Oregon ArtsWatch
"Portland playwright Sue Mach's new work, directed by Gemma Whelan at 21ten Theatre, uses the bear - and other characters from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale - to fill in the 16-year gap in The Bard's story and to address some universal issues, such as the pain of losing a child, that will always resonate in the real world. In Shakespeare's play, Leontes, King of Sicilia, falsely accuses his wife, Hermione, of infidelity, even though she's a faithful partner who's nine months pregnant with his child."
"Imprisoned, she gives birth to a daughter, Perdita, whom Leontes has ordered to be abandoned and left to die in the country of Bohemia. Hermione, it seems, is dead as well, but a Sicilian courtier, Antigonus, hopes to save the baby by leaving her someplace safe. Unfortunately for him, that's his last appearance in the play before he makes his famous exit, "pursued by a bear." Mach's play treats us to the bear's perspective."
"this bear (a wonderful Bruce Burkhartsmeier) addresses the audience with a working-class British accent, explaining what really happened with Antigonus. No, he didn't "pursue" anyone, he insists. And yes, he did eat the courtier. But as he humorously explains, the man (or "that stupid fuck") woke him up and invaded his territory, hence the attack was a reasonable response. Far more natural, I'd add, than a king who calls his wife a "whore" and condemns her to die."
The play uses the bear and other characters from Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale to fill the 16-year gap in the story and confront universal issues such as the pain of losing a child. Leontes falsely accuses Hermione of infidelity while she is nine months pregnant; Hermione is imprisoned, gives birth to Perdita, and the child is ordered abandoned in Bohemia. A Sicilian courtier, Antigonus, tries to save the baby and is killed, famously "pursued by a bear." The new work treats events from the bear's perspective, portraying a working-class, territorial animal who insists the attack was provoked. Paulina keeps Hermione hidden, and staging, costumes, and performance emphasize realism and emotional labor.
#the-winters-tale-adaptation #bear-perspective #grief-and-loss #theatre-production
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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