'Lion in Winter': Thrilling Medieval Mayhem

◊◊◊◊◊ out of five.  2 hours, 30 minutes, including intermission.  Adult situations, sexuality and realistic swordplay. 

The seven member company of The Lion in Winter, which opened last weekend at Spotlighters, represents all that is possible in community theatre - not a weak link in the bunch, and all coming from diverse backgrounds.  So, too, does the creative team, artists all, who are not only passionate about their art, but are equally skilled.  The result is one of the tightest, best constructed evenings of theatre seen this year in Baltimore.  Of course, it helps a great deal that they have wrung every drop of artistic quality that there is in this classic drama by James Goldman.  This production exploits every twist and turn of the script, and the quality of every performance brings the whole thing to a professional level. 

Goldman's script is based on historic fact, bringing us to 1183 England, during the reign of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Lest you worry that a PhD in Medieval Studies is required of the audience, the playwright plays fast and loose with events and instead focuses on that which is universal.  In short, this complex and very witty tale is a chess match played by world class players, where allegiance and power shift at least once in every scene.  But at the heart of it all, The Lion in Winter is a family drama - the power struggles between siblings for parental approval, enduring the needs of society, a mistress, impending changes in the family will.  And over all of it, the play is also a love story of epic scale. 

The minute you step into Spotlighters' miniscule theatre space, you cross centuries and land squarely in 12^th century England.  The all encompassing set, designed by Sherrionne Brown, features impressive stone columns, a staircase, a large fireplace and tapestries.  The detail of the elements is terrific, and yet, the entire space is simple and uncluttered, allowing our focus to be where it should be, on the actors.  Adding to the ambiance is a superb soundtrack of modern sounding Gregorian chants, and the constant flicker of unseen flames.  Those lights, as well as the outright artistic use of other instruments (design by Fuzz Roark) create mood, give sharp focus and offer the theatrical equivalent of cinematic tricks.  Roark knows that theatre lighting need not always be realistic - the room can be blood red during a violent crisis and switch immediately to cool blue when the crisis has ebbed.  And several times he creates a "close-up" with effective use of spotlights and fading.   

Only Adele Russell's costumes offer any area of negative criticism, albeit slight.  They are all beautiful to look at and appear to be historically accurate; in fact, most look to have cost a fortune, and every penny was well spent.  However, this comes at some expense of characterization.  For example, there are several instances in the play where the weapon of choice is sexuality.  Eleanor, a stunning woman of power, would likely use her feminine attributes to their utmost influence - most difficult to do when over garments are cut so as to make her seem more at home in a convent.  Similarly, Richard Lionheart, well-known as an attractive, fearless, masculine man, has a key scene with another character, and the sexual tension is so thick you need a cigarette when it is over.  But it is missing something when neither Richard nor his partner is in any semblance of undress.  Both men, powerful in their own right, would want to exhibit their physical prowess.  I'm not saying they need to be topless or even close to naked, but there should be some hints that all three characters are aware of their own attractiveness.  Still, this is a minor quibble considering how stunning the costumes look and how amazing the acting is. 

Sherrionne Brown has not only designed the setting, but has directed this production and stars in it as Eleanor.  Sometimes, when a director is cast in his/her own play, it is to the detriment of the production - time the director has spent on his/her characterization and blocking might have been better used to guide the rest of the production.  Other times, a director can successfully integrate him/herself into a production by having a firm command of the production AND of his/her role, often including surround him/herself with top notch actors and technicians.  That is the case here.  Ms. Brown has a gift for design, and even more of a gift of creating glorious stage pictures, meaningful blocking, and scenes that are completely involving, almost as if each were a separate play.  The ebb and flow of tensions in this meticulously written, and here, directed play is the key to its success.  And success it is.  This Lion is a thrill ride from start to finish (including methodically choreographed and executed scene changes), and Ms. Brown pulls out every punch and every trick in her considerable bag of skills.  That she is also a commanding, mesmerizing actress is more than icing on the cake.  In this play, the casting of the lead actress is crucial to its success.  All you need do is watch her face closely to get every nuance you need to understand what makes this queen tick.  And Brown's rapier sharp delivery adds much to the vicious arguments that punctuate each scene, and add a surprising amount of comedy to the performance. 

Eleanor's three sons couldn't be more different, and neither could the actors who portray them.  As the youngest son, confident because he is daddy's favorite, Zack Hornberger makes an impressive local theatre debut.  It would be easy to say that he is good simply because he is the age of his character, but he is so much more.  This young man understands that he is playing a representation of all teen males, a theatrically heightened pout machine with pimples (according to the script, not the actor), awkward in bearing and unknowing of his imminent manhood.  Mr. Hornberger's John thinks he knows how to act like a man, but can't balance it with his overwhelmingly spoiled rotten nature.  At once, this young actor dispels all stereotypes about high school actors and community theatre actors as well. 

Geoffrey, the middle son, is lost in the shuffle between mom's favorite, Richard, and dad's favorite, John, and compensates by exploiting his enviable brain power, manipulating and insinuating himself into any and every circumstance.  Shane Logue, with darting eyes, crooked smile and mocking tone of voice is everything Geoffrey should be.  Every time he enters you know mischief is close at hand, and you are equally certain that the drama will be all the more ugly and tense. 

As Richard Lionheart, Michael Leicht successfully adds to his remarkable stable of brooding, deeply angry characters.  No one does deep anger better than this amazing actor, and here, he takes it to a whole new level.  His Richard truly is a lion, stalking his prey, going in close for a growl, and with the tension of imminent pouncing on unsuspecting victims.  Mr. Leicht commands any scene he is in, but he is also a very generous actor, never allowing his own fireworks to eclipse other actors' "moments."  Like Ms. Brown, he acts with every fiber of his being, saying as much with his eyes and massive clinched jaw as his lines.  That he is a tall, muscular man works to his advantage in obvious ways, but the delicate turns he takes in some scenes makes his a widely varied physical presence.  This is particularly evident in two climactic scenes - one that has Richard on the verge of being beheaded at the hands of his own father, one that has him acknowledging and angling toward continuing a sexual relationship with the young King of France. 

Alex Peri, as that young King, is the perfect yin to Mr. Leicht's yang.  Many plays have such (homo)sexually charged scenes, but it is a testament to both performers that it is clearly more than sex.  It is a vying for power, a search for a weakness, and a revelation of two characters.  Mr. Peri exudes a quiet confidence completely necessary for such a young royal, and that confidence is compelling in a watch-his-every-move-he-is-a-wild-card kind of way.  Eileen Cuff, a subtly lovely young woman is ideally suited to the role of Alais, lover of Henry and confidante of Eleanor.  Ms. Cuff makes interesting choices, as she insinuates Alais in and out of the schemes and plans of the British royals.  At turns, she is a saucy, sexy concubine, a needy young girl, a loving friend.  But in her final scene, faced with a lose-lose situation, Ms. Cuff shows us a brave woman, the result of the company she has kept closer to her, and ultimately outwitting them both. 

Finally, the role of Henry II is as crucial to this work as Eleanor, and in Phil Gallagher's amazingly talented hands success is inevitable.  Mr. Gallagher has an equally sharp delivery as his distaff partner, tossing out lines with gusto and high interest.  His Henry is equal parts leader, father, husband, but also equal parts ego, confusion and vulnerability.  He creates a King that we are both enamored and fearful of, just as any good monarch should.  That he also infuses a sort of resigned sense of humor into his characterization makes his Henry human and accessible. 

It is that very humanity and accessibility, along with truly remarkable staging and powerhouse performances that make The Lion in Winter a production not to be missed.

PHOTOS by Amy Jones, courtesy of Spotlighters: TO to BOTTOM:  Fighting Father and Sons - the Men of The Lion in Winter; Eileen Cuff and Sherrionne Brown; Alex Peri, Zack Hornberger and Shane Logue; Michael Leicht and Alex Peri; Eileen Cuff and Phil Gallagher.

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