The Winter’s Tale

Director John Bechtold has spent many years working in immersive theatre, and in 2016 he brought to life his vision of a multi-level immersive experience of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale at the Arts Block (now Hawks and Reed) in downtown Greenfield, MA. In this production, audiences roamed freely through the building’s five floors to witness the story unfolding in nonlinear fashion. Spectators could observe scenes en masse, as well as having one-on-one encounters with the performers in private nooks throughout the building. From the expansive palace gathering room at the top of the building, surrounded by a forest of trees and a hut made of tree branches, to the eerie Underworld cabaret in the basement, magical moments abounded, and no two spectators ever had the same experience of The Winter’s Tale. Lindel Hart appeared as Hades/Time.