HENRY VI Comes To The Chain Theatre

Murderous pirates, sword fights, a severed head, and a cast of 16 come together in Atlas Shakespeare Company's inaugural New York City production of William Shakespeare's Henry VI. The intimate fast paced political thriller about power, passion and betrayal runs June 17 to 22 at The Chain Theatre. Artistic Director Adriana Alter directs the limited run.

Adriana Alter who also adapted the script shared why the company choose Henry VI for their first production, “We're proud to be giving New York City's theater community a rare chance to experience some of Shakespeare's most rarely performed plays; it's an honor to introduce audiences to these vibrant characters and suspenseful narrative for the first time! Besides, the Henry VI plays are Shakespeare's earliest work; what could be more fitting for our company's inaugural production? We've distilled the sprawling original into an intense, character-driven, urgently paced theatrical experience, featuring sixteen spectacular actors, gorgeous medieval costumes, and exhilarating sword fights—plus some of Shakespeare's most beautiful language, most biting comedy, and most shocking plot twists”.

About Henry VI

The king is dead. Long live the king.

The year is 1422. England is reeling from the sudden death of its beloved king. His heir, the newly-crowned Henry VI, is underage, unprepared—and unsuited to the throne.

Personal feuds are running rampant. Riots are breaking out across London. And everyone is starting to resent Henry's well-intentioned, overprotective uncle. Meanwhile, the ongoing war in France has turned catastrophic, thanks to mismanagement and in-fighting—not to mention the machinations of the self-proclaimed prophetess Joan of Arc. Amidst the chaos, energetic young Richard of York, orphaned and dispossessed, uncovers an earth-shattering family secret and springs into action.

Surrounded by back-stabbing courtiers and facing the first stirrings of civil war, 

Henry has only two options: step up, or be forced to step down.

The cast features Ned Bannon as King Henry VI, Justin Bennett, Charlotte Blacklock, Chris Clark, Zachary C. Clark, Timm Coleman, Ken Coughlin, Keara Dooley, Gabe Girson, Clayton Hamburg, Seth Hatch, Alexander Nero, Larry Reina, Leah Schwartz, Thomas Shuman, and William Oliver Watkins.