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2nd edition!

Tragi-comedy. Loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale.” Set in the Wild West, Big Leo, a wealthy rancher, has “gone madder than a dog” with jealousy. Big Leo thinks his best friend, Doc Xavier, has stolen his wife’s heart. Not wanting to be the laughingstock of the county, Big Leo publically accuses his pregnant wife of adultery and takes her to court, where she collapses, apparently dead. Big Leo then orders his newborn baby girl to be abandoned in the Badlands, but his loyal ranch hand secretly saves the child, who is raised by some local squatters. Fast forward 16 years and Big Leo’s deserted daughter and Doc Xavier’s son meet and fall in love. Can what starts as a sad, gloomy winter’s tale blossom into a happy one? With Western flair, this adaptation includes Shakespeare’s famous bear scene, and Father Time has been transformed into a traveling snake oil salesman, who functions as the narrator. Audiences will love this Wild West version of the Shakespeare classic complete with mistaken identities, a spring festival, comedic twists, and even a little romance!

Order direct at:
Big Dog Plays

All performance rights and royalties apply. Running time – 80 minutes.

First edition copies are still available for a limited time:

The Western Tale

The Bard goes western in this two-act play loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Big Leo and Doc Xavier have been friends since boyhood until Big Leo’s suspicious nature convinces him his wife and the Doc are having an affair. Following the original storyline, he takes her to court where she collapses – apparently dead. He banishes her newly born baby in the wilderness to die, but his loyal ranch hand, Gus, secretly saves the child who is raised by some local squatters. Fast forward sixteen years, and ‘Pearl’ (Leo’s daughter) falls in love with Doc Xavier’s son. You guess the rest… True to the original Shakespearean version, the play is a dark comedy and includes the famous ‘bear scene’. Father Time has been transformed into a traveling ‘snake oil salesman’, who also functions as the narrator.

Booktalk video about the play!

 

Scenes from past performances:

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16521897-the-western-tale

The PLEDGE Project

The Western Tale

 

 

Order direct at:
Big Dog Plays