Great Lakes Theater Kicks Off Its 65th Anniversary Season with Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale"

This powerful tale of romance and renewal will run September 25 – October 11, 2026, at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square.

CLEVELAND, OH - Great Lakes Theater (GLT) opens its milestone 65thanniversary 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%.

Tickets may be purchased by calling (216) 241-6000, visiting GreatLakesTheater.org or in person at the Playhouse Square Ticket Office. Visit https://www.playhousesquare.org/contact-us for Playhouse Square Ticket Office operating hours.

Support & Acknowledgements
The Winter’s Tale marks the first production for Great Lakes Theater under a landmark five-year partnership between Play On Shakespeare and the three-theater cross-country consortium that also includes Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Additional support for Great Lakes Theater’s 2026-27 season is provided by the residents of Cuyahoga County, through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Great Lakes Theater programming is also supported by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

About Great Lakes Theater
Great Lakes Theater, the first resident company of Playhouse Square, has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of live theater to the widest possible audience since 1962. GLT programming impacts over 80,000 adults and students annually.

About Play On Shakespeare
Play On Shakespeare is a non-profit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays. Play On Shakespeare partners with artists and organizations across the globe to deliver and advocate for these translations through theatrical productions, podcasts, and publications. For more information, visit playonshakespeare.org.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association.
^Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc.