The talented Actors from the London Stage will present Shakespeare’s "The Winter’s Tale" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, in UNC Asheville’s Lipinsky Auditorium. The performance is sponsored by UNCA’s Cultural and Special Events Committee and International Student Association.

Magical statues, wild bears, young lovers and raging tyrants combine to make "The Winter’s Tale" one of Shakespeare’s most entertaining and memorable plays. Set in Sicilia and spanning over sixteen years, the play depicts love, loss and tragedy in two royal families, culminating in a mysterious transformation and joyful reconciliation.

Five veterans of classical theater, Doyne Byrd, Maired Carty, Andrew Readman, Alison Stilbeck and Nick Tigg, will bring this enchanting romance to life. Using the power of the text, the inventiveness of their acting and the imagination of the audience rather than elaborate costumes or sets, this cast conveys all the action and shifts of character with ease and believability.

Actors From the London Stage is the performing wing of the American-based organization, A Center for the Theater Education and Research (ACTER), whose mandate is to introduce college students to the power of Shakespeare. The actors will be in a three-day residency at UNCA, visiting a number of classes.

Tickets for the performance are $18 general admission. Tickets are available 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the UNCA Ticket Office, Highsmith Center room 27, and may be charged by phone by calling 828/251-6584 during the hours listed above. Tickets are also available at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville.