Theatre and Dance to Present The Winter's Tale

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo will present "The Winter's Tale," Nov. 17-20, 2005 in the Drama Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

"The Winter's Tale," a drama by William Shakespeare, is directed by Saul Elkin, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, and founder and artistic director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park.

"This is the one play of Shakespeare's that seems to defy category.  Is it a tragedy, a romance, a comedy; or does it in fact combine all of these elements?  Shakespeare wrote the play near the end of his career as a playwright, before he retired to his home in Stratford. He had barely seen his wife and daughters during his years of success in the London theatre," remarks Elkin.

"It is no wonder that his last three plays focus on fathers and daughters, separation, loss and reconciliation.  "The Winter's Tale" begins with a series of unfortunate events, but tragedy gives way to comedy and romance.  The final mood in the end is neither tragic nor comic, but a mixture, leading to a serene sense of reconciliation.  Although there is little historical evidence of his home life, we can hope that Shakespeare himself found harmony when he returned to the family from which he had been absent."

Tickets for The Winter's Tale are $16 general admission and $8 for students. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location.

The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo is a non-profit organization that presents a wide range of high quality performing arts and visual arts. Situated on the University at Buffalo North Campus, the Center for the Arts is the largest and most versatile arts organization in the region.  Our mission is to create an environment for the visual and performing arts to flourish through education, exploration, collaboration and presentation while enriching cultural opportunities for the surrounding community.