Prologue
Time, the chorus, sings the following. Time is played by three actors.
Time
It shall be fickle false and full of fraud
This song, not included in the original text of "The Winter's Tale," was adapted by sound designer and composer Dan Dukich from the text of two of Shakespeare's separately-published poems: "Venus and Adonis" and "Sonnet 64".
When we have seen the hungry ocean gain
It shall not fear where it should most mistrust
When we have seen the storm in lover’s veins
Hermione
Pray you sit by me and tell us a tale.
Mamillius
Merry or sad shall it be?
Hermione
As merry as you will.
Time
It shall be merciful and, too, severe,
When we have seen by Time’s hand defaced
Love’s pleasure shall not match this woe
Mamillius
A sad tale’s best for Winter
'A tale for winter' or 'a winter's tale' was a common phrase referring to a trivial story or silly pastime for children. Notably, Shakespeare's title is "The Winter's Tale" (as opposed to "A Winter's Tale), a cheeky play on the common phrase staking out this play as the ultimate form of the trivial pastime and a celebration of the same childhood delight in stories and storytelling we see in Mamillius.
sprites
ghosts, spirits.
Hermione
Let’s have that, good sir.
Mamillius
There was a man…
