Lantern Theater Company concludes its 2009/10 mainstage season with the rarely performed Henry IV, Part I. In the tradition of the Lantern's darkly comic, Barrymore Award-winning production of Richard III, this gripping, ripping plot from William Shakespeare's history canon features a cast of local actors and battles royale that will transport you to another time and place. Previews began April 1, opening night is Wednesday, April 7 at 7pm, and the closing performance is May 2, 2010.
King Henry, having seized the throne of England from his tyrannical cousin, finds himself in a political hornet's nest. As trouble brews, he is horrified to see his own son and heir keeping company with thieves, drunkards, and whores. Witness the tug of war for the soul of young Prince Hal between his tortured, guilt-ridden father and Sir John Falstaff, a charming and insinuating rogue. As Hal wavers, the King's ambitious enemies, led by the dazzling young Hotspur, are on the rise. Prince Hal must make hard choices and face his fears as civil war threatens to swallow up the kingdom.
Lauded by Philadelphia Weekly as "the city's most consistent producer of the Bard's work," the Lantern continues its rich interpretation of Shakespeare's work with Henry IV, Part I, a play full of famous characters but perhaps a slightly less familiar story.
"In Shakespeare's time, these history plays were extremely popular, the Elizabethan equivalent of the action-adventure film. Think Indiana Jones in iambic pentameter," says Henry IV, Part I director Charles McMahon. "The Henry IV plays and Richard III are terrific examples, full of mayhem and delightful villains. But in Henry IV, Shakespeare's genius for deep insight into the human soul is unmatched. The characters are more complex, conflicted, and completely drawn than in the other histories. With Prince Hal, Hotspur, Henry the king, and comic masterpiece Jack Falstaff, Shakespeare has created a unique narrative universe that, once entered, cannot help but change us."
McMahon co-founded the Lantern in 1994 and serves as Artistic Director in addition to acting and directing for the company. He is a Shakespeare aficionado and has edited and directed all but one of the Lantern's Shakespeare productions over the past sixteen years, including last year's record-breaking production of Hamlet (the best-selling production in the Lantern's history), Richard III (2006 Barrymore Award winner, Outstanding Production of a Play; nominee, Outstanding Direction of a Play), and The Comedy of Errors (2004 Barrymore Award nominee, Outstanding Production & Direction of a Play).
In what promises to be an extraordinary combination of actor and roles, Peter Pryor takes on competing father figures Henry IV and the morbidly obese Falstaff. Pryor has received fifteen Barrymore Award nominations and three awards, including Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play for the Lantern's Richard III; other recent Lantern credits include Shakespeare's Othello and Pinter's The Hothouse. Allen Radway (Prince Hal) has 35 productions to his credit, most recently at Simpatico Theatre Project where he will take over as Artistic Director this fall. Returning to the Lantern for this production are Andrew Kane (Hotspur), Jered McLenigan (Douglas/Mortimer),
Tim Moyer (Northumberland), and Russ Widdall (Westmoreland/Glendower). The nine-person cast is rounded out by Lantern newcomers
Mary Lee Bednarek (Lady Mortimer/Mistress Quickly), David Blatt (Worcester), and Rachael Joffred (Lady Percy).
The creative team includes a team of accomplished local artists: set designer Meghan Jones, costume designer
Mark Mariani, lighting designers Drew Billiau and Christopher Hetherington, sound designer
Nick Rye, fight director J. Alex Cordaro, and dramaturg Kathryn MacMillan.
Lantern Theater Company: In Conversation offers an insider's look at Henry IV, Part I through discussions with the creative team, as well as special events designed to enhance the theatergoing experience. The Lantern is pleased to announce the return of Scholars: In Conversation (April 5-19), a three-part panel discussion series exploring Shakespeare's work. Princes, Clowns, and the Fight for the Crown: Understanding Henry IV, Part I will feature guest scholars
Lois Potter, Kristen Poole, Darlene Farabee, and John-Paul Spiro, with Rosenbach Museum & Library librarian Elizbeth Fuller and actor Peter Pryor. The series will also include a hands-on tour of primary sources at the Rosenbach. [A full list of In Conversation Series events is included below.]
Tickets are $20-$35 and are available online at
www.lanterntheater.org or by phone at 215.829.0395. $10 student rush tickets are available 10 minutes before curtain with valid ID; cash only.
