With temperatures dropping and the holiday season in full swing, Shakespeare fans and podcast buffs alike can curl up by the fire (or any available heat source) to listen to the Play On Podcasts Series' modern audio play adaption of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, with the first episode debuting December 23.

This podcast-meets-audio-play series features Shakespeare's text translated into modern verse by Tracy Young, and the cast includes Rodney Gardiner, Elijah Alexander, and Gina Daniels—plus, a cameo by Estelle Parsons. Lindsay Jones lends sound design to the audio landscape. Acoustic instrumentals guide listeners through The Winter's Tale, which follows King Leontes after the loss of his wife and children due to the repercussions of false accusations.

Through adapting Shakespeare's classic works from paper to podcast, director Tracy Young hopes that the podcast series can engage a new generation of listeners: "My greatest hope is that someone who might not have been able to fully appreciate the wonder that is The Winter's Tale might use this translation and the podcast as a doorway to deepen their relationship with Shakespeare's work," says Young.

Previously, the Play on Podcasts Series has retold a number of Shakespeare classics, including A Midsummer Night's Dream, King Lear, Measure for Measure, and notably, a Macbeth series which starred RuPaul's Drag Race Stars Manila Luzon, Monet X Change, and Peppermint. Following The Winter's Tale, the series aims to release a series of The Tempest and Othello later this year.

For more information and further announcements on episode release dates, visit NCPodcasts.com.