Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents HENRY V.
William Shakespeare tells the story of a young king’s rise to respect. Harry Judge plays the newly crowned twenty-five year old Henry. In Act 1, Judge assumes the role with dispassionate intellectualism. He turns his back on his drinking buddies. He sentences his closest advisors to death. His rule begins in entitlement. In Act 2, Judge earns his title. He listens to his subjects. He motivates his soldiers. He woos a foreign princess. And Judge does it all with heartfelt sincerity and boyish charm.
In his Chicago debut, Director Christopher Luscombe stages this war with testosterone soaked vulnerability. The English already feel defeated against the cocky French. Judge’s motivational St. Crispin’s Day speech rallies the troops to battle. Luscombe, along with Fight Choreographer Matt Hawkins, stage the epic massacre. Scenic Designer Kevin Depinet’s massive castle wall pivots and falls into a drawbridge. The huge cast march across it to seize the city. The orchestrated savagery is both impressive and disconcerting. At different points, the action is so intense I felt sure I had been splattered in blood.
Luscombe finds the heart and humor of Shakespeare’s play. Judge’s interactions with his men are anchored in brotherly love. The masculine emotional distance diminishes with a well-placed “brother” acknowledgement. Luscombe also finds the funny in this tale of territory conquest. Laura Rook (Katherine) and Sally Wingert (Alice) have a hilarious English anatomy lesson. The earnest Rook pronounces ‘elbow.‘ The smug Wingert corrects her with ‘delbow.‘ The banter escalates to absurdity. Wingert earlier plays the hostess of an English inn. The contrast between her cheeky wench and uptight lady’s maid is comedic fun. Many of the talented 18 cast members play multiple roles. In particular, Greg Vinkler is another standout. For England, he is an enterprising rogue. As Pistol, he is over-the-top hysterical. Later, wig off, crown on, he plays the stately King Charles VI.
HENRY V is excellent! Under Luscombe’s direction, this dusty classic explores the fraternal brotherhood of war. The expedition examines the honor behind the nobility. HENRY V inspires. A true leader leads by example. This HENRY V should be seen. Tickets are selling fast, I highly recommend purchasing them NOW!
Running Time: Two hours and thirty minutes includes an intermission
At Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier, 800 E. Grand
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Christopher Luscombe
Tickets STILL Available:
At 1pm: May 28th, June 11th
At 2pm: June 1st, 15th
At 3pm: May 24th, June 7th and 14th
At 6:30pm: June 8th
At 7:30pm: May 22nd, 23rd, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and June 3rd, 5th, 6th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th
At 8pm: May 31st, June 7th and 14th
Buy Tickets at www.chicagoshakes.com
Production photo by Liz Lauren
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