About The Lion in Winter
The Psych Drama Company is thrilled to present its production of The Lion in Winter, by James Goldman.
This extraordinary dramatic radio production will keep you riveted with an exceptional cast, amuse you with dark comedic undertones, and let your imagination run free with medieval imagery. Sibling rivalry, adultery, and dungeons, in medieval times. The year is 1183, with some playful anachronisms.
The play tells the story of the Plantagenet family, locked in a free for all of competing ambitions to inherit a kingdom. The queen and wealthiest woman in the world, Eleanor of Aquitaine, has been kept in prison since raising an army against her husband. He is Henry II, King of England, and feudal overlord of many provinces of France. She is let out only for the Christmas holidays, held at Henry's castle at Chinon, France. We hear the inner conflicts of the royal family as they fight over both a kingdom, and over King Henry's paramour. As Eleanor says, "Every family has its ups and downs," and this royal family is no exception!
This full length radio drama (2 1/2 hours) was fully rehearsed via Zoom over a three month period during the Covid crisis. It was recorded with professional recording equipment while maintaining social distancing in order to keep all participants safe and healthy.
The Lion in Winter first premiered on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on March 3, 1966, starring Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris, who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of Eleanor. It was adapted by Goldman into an Academy Award-winning 1968 film of the same name, starring Peter O'Toole as Kin Henry II and Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine. The film also starred John Castle, Anthony Hopkins (in his film debut in a major role), Jane Merrow, Timothy Dalton (in his film debut) and Nigel Terry.
The Psych Drama Company
We are a Boston-area theater company bringing contemporary and traditional psychological insight to classic dramas, by focusing on the elements of human nature that transcend time.
The Psych Drama Company was founded in December of 2010 by Wendy Lippe, Ph.D. As a clinical psychologist, Wendy's vision in starting this company is to integrate her professional expertise with her work as a creative artist. We aim to produce dramatic pieces that engage the large community of mental health professionals in the Boston area, as well as to stimulate and foster psychological mindedness and insight in the community at large. It is important to us that our productions target not only professionals in the field, including psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health workers, and social workers, but also members of the general public: we aim to be equally accessible to professionals and laypeople alike. Our ultimate goal is to make all of the greatest classic works of drama relevant to today's audiences by focusing on the timeless elements of human nature.
For more information, including about past shows and press reviews, see our company website, at: http://www.thepsychdramacompany.com/