From The Muskegon Chronicle, July 12, 2007

Cast brings life to “tale” within “tale”
By Bill Seeback

       William Shakespeare’s play The Winter’s Tale is a tale within a tale within a tale.  It includes
both comedy and tragedy.  The unique telling of the tale (or tales) by the Pigeon Creek
Shakespeare Company may be a whole lot closer to what Shakespeare envisioned back in 1610
than the finely polished performances at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, for instance.  
       Unique is the fact that house and stage lights remain constant, like the light at the Globe
Theatre where Shakespeare held forth.  Sets are minimal to ensure quick changes.  Costumes are
improvised from hand-me-downs, and in Bohemia, where part of the action takes place, they speak
with a Tennesse hillbilly twang!
       Most of the strong, ten-member cast played multiple roles.  Kyle Westmaas as King Leontes
seethed as the jealous husband, intractable in his conviction that there was a plot afoot throughout
the court.  The highly pregnant and innocent Queen Hermione, royally played by Katherine
Mayberry, was the object of the king’s anger.
       Scott Lange as Camillo (and Antigonus) ably handled the workhorse role with aplomb.  
Obviously, Randy J. Matthews delighted in his several character roles.
       Additional cast members include: Benjamin Cole, Michael Empson, Caroline Gaddy, Kathleen
Hanley, Kelly Knoll, and Lauryn Miceli.
       The action moves fast and as there are many characters and scenes in this play is would be
helpful for audience members to arrive at the theater a little early to read the synopsis of scenes
and become familiar with the characters.
       Preceding each act there was a musical number played and sung by the cast members.
       Wednesday night’s audience gave the company an enthusiastic round of applause during
curtain call.
       The Winter’s Tale is a particularly redolent with many beautiful, poetic images scattered
throughout the work.  And what is amazing is that the play speaks to the human condition of the
21st century.  
       The words may be Elizabethan, but the characters and situations are part of our daily lives.  
There, on the stage, is our next door neighbor or someone described in the police column.  Maybe
it’s something we thought or observed but couldn’t find the right words to describe.  But
Shakespeare did, and the Pigeon Creek Players, in their own way, bring it to our attention.  Brava,
bravo!
       The play continues at the Howmet Playhouse today through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.  The
playhouse is at 304 S. Mears Avenue in Whitehall.  Call the box office for tickets at 894-2540.