Awaken is the untold story of what happens between Paulina and Hermione during the gap of time in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. In this two-hander, we witness the 16-year journey from Hermione’s sudden death to Paulina’s reveal of Hermione’s statue, with the interspersing of mini scenes to show the passage of time.Paulina lost her husband and Hermione lost her children, all because of Hermione’s jealous husband, King Leontes, who publicly accused Hermione of cheating on him with King Polixenes, his closest friend. Hermione faints in court and wakes up with Paulina by her side while everyone else thinks she's dead. The pressure is too much for Hermione and with the help of Paulina she decides to flee. After running from the castle, they must come up with a solution to cover Hermione’s dangerous escape. With only a little garden shed as their refuge, they’re able to buy themselves some time. But now these two women, who have lost so much and risked everything, must change their entire lives to keep this secret from the king. The play follows Paulina and Hermione through sixteen years. Then, with the sudden reappearance of Hermione’s lost daughter, Perdita, Hermione has a longing to be reunited, but that means she must come out of hiding. Our heroines are faced with the biggest decision of their lives. And what kind of sacrifices are they forced to make in order to leave everything behind?
Keywords: Shakespeare, women, lesbian, love, hiding, motherhood, time
Produced by zone41 Theatre with Shakespeare in the Ruins, Winnipeg, MB, January 2020
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Run time: 80 minutes
Suitable for students 16+
Cast size: 2 actors
Female roles: 2
Poster image by Sarah Constible and Doowah Design, featuring Tracy Penner as Paulina and Daria Puttaert as Hermoine