By Jason Hagey and Alisha Hagey
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production of Henry VI, Part I by William Shakespeare, at the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre in Cedar City, Utah is an unexpected diamond you don’t want to miss. Here’s the thing: most of the time, when someone mentions William Shakespeare to the unindoctrinated, run of the mill drinking readership/viewership, we think of Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth and (more especially) Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Thank you to high school English teachers for giving us such a wealth of words from the Bard. Films have given us glimpses into some popular favorites like Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, or Midsummer Night’s Dream. All too often, as an audience, we are left without the histories. Some histories have been produced for film (Henry V and Richard III come to mind), but these are usually for the die-hard Shakespeare fans and are not as popular with the general public.
Henry VI, Part I (in future referred to as just Henry VI) is a real tragedy – and not in the Shakespearean sense – because it is often overlooked and is notoriously seldom-produced. The play has everything: action, humor, political intrigue, iconic figures, and rousing speeches. People die. Others fall in love. Plot twists surprise us. And there are the typical character studies we’ve come to expect from Shakespeare, with human foibles and the grievous consequences of selfishness and greed. So why is Henry VI seldom-produced? Hard to say why after seeing the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production of it. After giving it more thought, the script is rife with problems. The masterful direction, though, make this a stand-out performance rivaling some truly great productions of Henry IV, Parts I and II that I have seen. Good direction can carry a weak script.
Geoffrey Kent (top then clockwise) as Lord Talbot, Lance Rasmussen as English Soldier, Josh Innerst as Earl of Salisbury, and Kyle Bulloch as English Soldier inthe Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Henry VI Part One. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
According to USF’s literature: “Henry V has died, and his young son is soon crowned Henry VI. In France, war is raging. At home in England various factions are claiming the right to the throne, choosing between the symbolic red and white roses … Shakespeare gathers these threads together and combines them into a powerful tapestry of a country soon to be racked by civil war.”
Two quotes from the play sum up the breadth of history and depths of humanity covered. The first comes from Act 3, Scene 1, lines 211-215. “I fear that fatal prophecy that Henry born at Monmouth should win all and Henry born at Windsor should lose all.” The other is in Act 3, Scene 3, lines 47-49. “Look on thy country, look on fertile France, and see the cities and the towns defaced by wasting ruin of the cruel foe.”
Henry VI is the beginning of the War of the Roses. It is the setting of the stage for civil strife. It is of some surprise that the play bearing the name of the King would hide the titular character from us until Act 3. Henry VI was a shadow to his father, often considered to be mentally infirm and weak. It is because of this that I believe Shakespeare keeps the young King from us for so long. It really isn’t his story. He is merely a shadow, a puppet, a backdrop for the fighting of ravenous men. His father fought for unity and land and his son lost it all to the bickerings and backhanded dealings of power-hungry warmongers.
Setting aside the beginnings of York v. Lancaster, Henry VI opens our eyes to the pains and devastations of war. There is waste and famine and fear. Men and women lose their lives over selfish men and women who squabble for power on the sidelines. This production truly highlights the waste, especially pointing up to the deaths of father and son Lord Talbot (Geoffrey Kent) and John Talbot (Austin Glen Jacobs). You care for them. Despite Kent’s character being single-minded, he believes in his journey and his purpose. You can’t help but admire such focus and determination. Kent sought to support his monarch and is willing to give his life to the cause. Even though his son (played by Jacobs) is only on stage for a brief period, there is a touching repartee between father and son where both are not willing to besmirch honor in order to pursue safety. They follow through with their promises and their convictions. With their deaths, we lose the moral compass of the world. No one else is truly redeemable and truly admirable.
A scene from the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Henry VI Part One.(Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Lack of a common humanity drives wedges between what should be a united country. With the death of the King (Henry V, whose portrait looms over the characters for much of the play), we find a nation divided by greed rather than mourning and becoming one (Saint Crispin’s Day is long forgotten now). Some characters claim to look to God and others to fortune for their inspiration, but almost none look to one another for succor and to support. They are all searching for a common thread but their goals are all indulgent and their wishes are of self promotion.
It then makes sense for director Henry Woronicz to create a world that feels sparse, where fabrics are torn down and allegiances are easily changed. Throughout we are given beautiful stage pictures of groups of characters coming together for a common cause (usually in war). They appear to be one but while they praise one another the machinations for self-preservation are really all that matter in the end. Woronicz gives us smooth transitions that fill in the missing gaps of the text. He serves his audience, recognizing that not everyone is as familiar with the House of Plantagenet. Woronicz uses the stage smartly. The whole of the space is utilized with great success. Nothing is wasted and nothing is lost. Characters climb ladders to other levels, others descend into the floor, and yet we know that this same stage is going to be used for other productions going on in this season. The staging is brilliant and versatile. Scenic designer Apollo Mark Weaver truly creates a dynamic world for the actors to inhabit.
Admittedly, I was hoping that this production would not be in time period but would be lifted to possibly reflect our current society or one in our recent past. Sometimes I find it blaise to set Shakespeare’s histories in their historical settings. This is my own failing, I admit. I couldn’t have been more wrong about this particular production. Lauren T. Roark’s costumes are another larger than life character, so lush and tactile. Sitting in the beautiful outdoor theatre and sweating and yet looking at those men and women in their chainmail and heavy furs, really pushed my boundaries of expectation. Histories can be historical without losing creativity and suffering for being of the period. Thank you for reminding me of this. While I am on the subject matter, pay attention to the French chainmail as the actors take the stage. It is exquisite. I cannot imagine how they made fabric mimic coiled metal so successfully. It fairly glittered when the sun’s setting rays hit it. Magnificent.
A scene from the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Henry VI Part One.(Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
Lighting Designer Michael Pasquini does a great job of navigating the difficulties in lighting an outdoor theatre that goes from sunset to dusk and then to evening. The lights did not conflict with the beautiful set and costume but rather emphasized all the right moments with subtlety. This seemed to be a standard among the designers. They acknowledged the space they were in without pulling focus from the story.
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Jim Poulos’ Henry VI is the weakling that you come to expect through his portrayal in history, but Poulos makes Henry more layered than that. You really feel his intentions to be the very best king he can, to follow in his father’s large footsteps, and overcome his own youth and immaturity. Poulos’ Henry struggles with his imperfections and weakness. He brings an honesty that many of us can relate to: you do your best but you can’t always overcome your own shortcomings.
The Duchess of Gloucester (Leslie Brott) brings an exceptional thoughtfulness and self-reflection to the production. Brott’s Duchess has moments of soliloquies that reach out to us as an audience and her plain and straightforward manner guides us with simple nudges to understand the overarching consequences of decisions being made. She keeps us, as an audience, enraptured in the embroiling intrigues that are threatening England. Surprising, they give Brott some lines originally intended to be delivered by Exeter. There is something remarkable about, “I fear that fatal prophecy that Henry born at Monmouth should win all and Henry born at Windsor should lose all” being delivered by a woman. It feels human and relatable. I instantly connect with her character and with the helpless spiral of defeat that she herself is caught in when she utters, “I doth wish my days were finished before this hapless time.”
Very nearly stealing the show, Michael Elich (Richard Plantagenet) and Lance Rasmussen (Earl of Somerset) with their entourage of faithful followers, are as cunning and divisive as any Shakespearean villain, but their portrayals are real and understated. Instead of going to a stereotypical viciousness (which would be easy to do with these characters) Elich and Rasmussen choose to be human, their manner of expression is real. They don’t steal the show because, as it is with the entire ensemble, you can tell that they are in the production for the sake of the production’s success and not for their own self-aggrandizement. This is the sign of true artistry, and Elich and Rasmussen have it in spades.
The two that are amazing in their dynamic acting are Lisa Wolpe and John Ahlin. Wolpe and Ahlin play a host of characters, each being different, and some of them having their own arcs. With so little text, so few lines for each part, they still create originality with very unique mannerisms, bearings, and means of expression. They are both veteran actors whose skill and virtuosity shine when you start to realize how many different people they portray over the course of the show. I was surprised when I started going through the cast list and realized, “Hey, wait – that was the same actor?”
Now we come to the French. Of particular note are Ty Fanning (Charles, dauphin and afterwards king of France) and Tracie Lane (Joan de Pucelle, also called Joan of Arc). Their chemistry, first and foremost, is uncanny. They make an exceptional duo on stage, and I found myself excited to see them each time they appeared. Though there are definite issues in the writing itself (sometimes Shakespeare comes across as sloppy with consistencies in their roles) Fanning and Lane transcend these literary shortcomings and add personality. They are especially interesting in the transitions, filling in the gaps in the dialogue with subtle moments that help round their characters and deepen relationships.
Not to give anything away, but watch for Josh Innerst (Earl of Suffolk). The ending is unexpected and his performance is awesome. I can say no more.
Michael Elich (left) as Richard Plantagenet, Landon Tate Boyle as English Soldier, Tracie Lane as Joan de Pucelle, and Chad Henwood as English Soldier in the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s 2018 production of Henry VI Part One. (Photo by Karl Hugh. Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival 2018.)
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Henry VI, Part I is a timely piece that demonstrates how greed and selfishness erode the inner fabric of society, where the powerful few can rip a nation apart. When people forget their shared humanity, focusing on personal gains and petty rivalries instead, the world becomes topsy-turvy and the good are punished while the evil are rewarded. In the final stage picture, right before the curtain call, Woronicz gives us a glimpse of a world that demonstrates the massive and frightening consequences of nations being formed by these ideas. I, for one, am excited for the finishing of the trilogy next season with Henry VI, Parts II and III. I also hope for Richard III the following season as it brings the War of the Roses to a powerful conclusion. I would love to see Woronicz continue his vision through all of them. One can only hope that by seeing theatre such as this, with hopelessness and despair exploding through the actions of selfish men, that our society can translate that experience into finding common ground and cultural unity. Perhaps in seeing the consequences that resonate with modern times we can make a decision to instead lose ourselves in the joy of others.
Utah Shakespeare Festival presents Henry VI, Part I, by William Shakespeare
Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, 195 W Center Street, Cedar City, Utah 84720
June 29 – September 6, 2018, Times and dates vary
Tickets: $20-75
Contact: 435-586-7878 or 1-800-PLAYTIX (752-9849)
Utah Shakespeare Facebook Page
Synopsis of Henry VI, Part I
Study Guide into the world of Henry VI, Part I
A very well written review. You gave readers something to really understand about the play, and the humanity of the people who inhabit that world. Thnaks you for your support of live theatre.