Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...The mother-daughter directing team of Vesely and Rice wisely allows the tonal contradictions in the tale to breathe, while also allowing the cast to find its own moments of wit amid the absurdity. (You just have to experience McKillip's utterance of one word — "Libya" — for yourself, but trust me, it's hilarious.) Ultimately, "The Winter's Tale" makes the case that when kings have lost their heads, good queens, counselors and commoners must use their stout hearts to set matters right again."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Using a script shortened to a two-hour running time by Rice, the directors have tightly packed this hot-blooded, fast-paced show with terrific, inspired performers-led by Kevin McKillip (astonishing as the foolish King Leontes) and Diana Coates (radiant as the play's moral center, Paulina)-all of them garbed in eye-pleasing costumes by Rachel Lambert and performing on Angela Weber Miller's gorgeous set. Every moment crackles; the evening just flies by."
Edge - Highly Recommended
"...For this summer's Shakespeare Under the Stars, First Folio Theatre presents a lean, focused version of "The Winter's Tale," co-directed by Alison C. Vesely and Hayley Rice. Rice's cut of the play strips out most of the shenanigans of the lower classes, but it also pares down repetitive elements, leaving an emotionally compelling story intact. "
Stage and Cinema - Recommended
"...Reason enough to see this Winter's Tale, Melissa Carlson's queenly Hermione would stand out on any stage, eloquent even when silent and magnificent in her trial scene. Her dignity rooted in her purity, Hermione never seemed nobler or more natural."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...I think it's fair to say that of Shakespeare's well-known plays, productions of The Winter's Tale may be some of the most anticipated, because there are so many ways a director could chose to interpret it. The First Folio version delivers all a Shakespeare fan could hope for, and is an excellent opportunity for those unfamiliar with the work to fall in love with it. Though risky, the outdoor nighttime setting is a major contributor to the play's magical aura, and makes the language easier to accept as a positive feature of something that only exists on rare, special occasions. It's a production that makes me want to believe that The Winter's Tale's ending involves sorcery, instead of the mundane explanation, because the staging has set up a miracle so well. Don't waste a dry day this summer, make sure to see this play."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...The Winter's Tale, one of Shakespeare's spellbinding stories of love and jealousy, has made its debut with First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook, Illinois. Being that it's the middle of July, the production took place outside on a beautifully authentic wooden proscenium stage with nearly perfect weather to accompany the refreshing theatrical atmosphere."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Every July the First Folio Theatre in Oak Brook gives the Chicago theater audience a wonderful treat with their annual "Shakespeare Under the Stars" production. This year they are performing TheWinter's Tale, a classic Shakespeare tragicomedy that is a story of love, jealousy, and the price of both. It is a celebration of faith and redemption, holding on and letting go, and the transcendent power of love. The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's final works and considered one of his best."
