Baltimore Shakespeare Factory Opens 2020 Season With HENRY V

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory (BSF), Baltimore's early modern theatre company, will open their 2020 season with the thrilling and thoughtful Henry V. The story of one of England's greatest kings, Shakespeare's Henry V is also a subtle exploration of the balance between patriotism and nationalism.

How is power taken? How is it wielded? And how far will we go to keep it? Presented in an election year and amidst the backdrop of shifting world politics, this timeless play directly confronts the costs of holding power. Director Grayson Owen views his staging as a response to the many productions that glorify war, including the famous 1944 film version starring Laurence Olivier. "[Shakespeare] took his time to talk about the fallacies of a misplaced war and a king that did not fully have his ethics in the right line, " says Owen. "Should we be cheering for Henry? That's the question I pose to the audience."

Grace Brockway stars as the titular king. "Our Henry is not a woman playing a man. Our Henry is a woman, ruling a country, making choices (whether for good or for ill), with all the goodness, the flaws, the doubts that humanity has to offer. Statesmanship and honor don't know any gender lines," says Owen. Rounding out the ensemble are Greta Boeringer, Cheryl Campo, Matthew Crawford, Abigail Funk, Adam Henricksen, Valerie Holt, Jamil Johnson, Jane Jongeward, Micaela Mannix, Rachel Manu and performance interns Chloe Otterson and Kate Butler.

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory will present Henry V at The Kestrel (the company's Elizabethan-style Hampden stage) Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 14-March 8, 2020.

Tickets are available on the BSF website https://www.baltimoreshakespearefactory.org/henryv