THE WINTER'S TALE to Open Great Lakes Theater's 65th Season

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) will open its milestone 65th anniversary season with Shakespeare's enchanting romance, The Winter's Tale, running September 25 - October 11, 2026, in the Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square. Tracy Young returns to GLT, where she last directed 2014's The Merry Wives of Windsor, to helm this modern verse translation and adaptation she penned for Play On Shakespeare.

'The Winter's Tale is a play about what it is to be human,' shares Young. 'It's a play filled with laughter and love, and it's also a play where terrible things happen. This play asks questions: Is forgiveness possible? What does it mean to heal? How do we find our way home again? This play is an invitation to that return. It is hope in the face of uncertainty.'

About the Production

The unfounded suspicions of the jealous King Leontes destroy his family, as he imprisons Queen Hermione and casts away their newborn daughter. Years later, the lost princess, raised in Bohemia, falls in love with a prince and returns to the kingdom she has never known, bringing hope, renewal and a chance to restore what was lost. In a story of heartbreak and healing, betrayal gives way to forgiveness, and love miraculously rebuilds what had been broken.

Young directs an extraordinary cast featuring veteran GLT actors and those making their debut on the Hanna stage. The cast includes Gina Daniels*, Jodi Dominick*, Sean Patrick Doyle*, Ethan Flanagan*, Derek Garza*, Ian Gould*, Theo Lally, Janiyah 'Jai' McAllister*, Laura Perrotta*, Nick Steen*, Dylan Tanks and Matthew Wright*. The creative team features Scenic Designer William Boles; Costume Designer Alex Jaeger; Lighting Designer Rick Martin; Sound Designer & Composer Jane Shaw; Wig & Hair Designer Christine Harwood; Dramaturg Lue Douthit; Movement Director Jaclyn Miller^; Fight and Intimacy Director Celina Lee Sumiak; Production Stage Manager Nicki Cathro Steen* and Assistant Stage Manager Kelsey Malone*.

Special Events & Experience Enhancement Programming

Check out the rich series of audience enrichment opportunities available for The Winter's Tale:

• Director's Night: Pre-show conversation with Producing Artistic Director, Sara Bruner, at the first Friday evening preview. (starts at 6:30 p.m.)
• Salon Thursdays: Weekly pre-show discussions with GLT artists. (starts at 6:30 p.m.)
• Playnotes Discussions: Saturday matinee pre-show talks with a guest scholar. (starts at 12:30 p.m.)
• Ice Cream Social Sundays: Enjoy a London theatre tradition brought stateside and get discounted ice cream at Sunday matinees.

Full details available at greatlakestheater.org/enhancement

Performance & Ticket Information

• Opening/Press Night: Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.
• Preview Performances: Friday, September 25 at 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, September 26 at 1:30 p.m.
• Curtain Times: Evenings at 7:30 p.m. | Saturday matinees at 1:30 p.m. | Sunday matinees at 3:00 p.m.
• Sign-interpreted and Audio-described Performance: Sunday, October 11 at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets range from $23-$103 (inclusive of all fees). $17 tickets available for patrons 25 and under. Groups of 10+ save up to 30%.