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WATCH: 'The Winter’s Tale’ Set Comes Down

Julie Denesha
/
KCUR

The sound of power drills pierced the air on a humid Monday morning as several dozen crew members dismantled the set of "The Winter’s Tale" in Southmoreland Park in Kansas City, Mo.

The evening glow from the set’s blue and gray spires had long faded. From a grassy hill, Greg Mackender, resident composer and musician for the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival stood taking photographs on his camera phone before packing away his instruments.

"This reminds you that it’s just a fantasy," says Mackender. "In the middle of the show, it just had such a life to it. But then you see it in the broad daylight and you realize it’s all smoke and mirrors."

As Mackender took photos, the production’s stage manager Jinni Pike walked around handing out popsicles to crew members working in the heat.

"It’s strike day, so most of the company is gone but I still have one more day," says Pike. "It’s a bittersweet moment because we watch this thing that we’ve built from the beginning coming down, but it’s the nature of our jobs and what we do.

"Everything we start has to end at some time so we are always prepared for it. Moving on to the next thing and saying goodbyes for awhile — which is hard but we always come back."

The bulk of the set was on the ground by midday and trucks were pulling in to haul away the remains.

KCUR's summer series, From Page To Park, explores the unexpected struggles and conflicts in the life cycle of 'The Winter's Tale'. Key cast and crew members share professional and personal journeys to create performances that speak to a diverse audience.

Julie Denesha is the arts reporter for KCUR. Contact her at julie@kcur.org.
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