HENRY IV, PART TWO Opens in Thomas Theatre 7/8

OSF's journey through Shakespeare's history tetralogy marches on with the second part of Henry IV joining the repertory, with previews beginning July 4. Once again, the Festival's intimate Thomas Theatre will play host to the political intrigue of early 15th-century England.

The story of Henry IV, Part Two begins shortly after the end of the first part, with England in chaos, fear and confusion. Foreign invaders threaten, rebellious nobles plot against the king, and Prince Hal-after proving himself on the battlefield at the end of Part One-returns to the "headstrong riot" of his tavern days. Two fates hang in the balance: that of a nation pulling apart, and that of a young man who must transform his own life before he can heal his battered land.

Director Carl Cofield, helming his first production at OSF, speaks in musical metaphors of the tonal contrasts between the two parts of Henry IV, saying "Part Two is quieter and darker. The battles here are internal, like a classic blues song, open and raw. Rather than the big war scenes of Part One, we see the battles over the crown, over relationships and over conscience. To capture that atmosphere in the intimacy of the Thomas Theatre is a gift. It allows the subtler moments to be highlighted."

Cofield hopes that audiences will feel the modern resonances from this 400-year-old history play. "After watching it, I hope we learn something about our plight. Much like Hal, we are at a crossroads. We too must ask ourselves how we as a nation want to govern and how we live in community with each other."

The cast features Jeffrey King as King Henry IV, Fang and Bullcalf; Daniel José Molina as Prince Hal; G. Valmont Thomas as Sir John Falstaff; Kimberly Scott as Archbishop, Pistol and Mouldy; Tyrone Wilson as Northumberland, Snare and Warwick; Michael Gabriel Goodfriend as Poins, Hastings, Collevile and Travers; Robert Vincent Frank as Westmorland and Bardolph; Jeremy Gallardo as Prince John, Francis, Morton and Wart; Lauren Modica as Peto, Silence and Mowbray; Alejandra Escalante as Rumor, Doll Tearsheet, Davy and Clarence; Richard Elmore as Justice Shallow, Lord Bardolph and Drawer; Nemuna Ceesay as Lady Percy, Gower, Gloucester and Shadow; Robin Goodrin Nordli as Lady Northumberland, Lord Chief Justice, Feeble and Harcourt; Michele Mais as Mistress Quickly and Porter; and Yi Shostrom as the Page.

The scenic designer is Adam Rigg, costumes are by Dede M. Ayite, and lighting design is by Alan C. Edwards. The composer and sound designer is Elisheba Ittoop, and dramaturgs are Lydia G. Garcia and Amrita Ramanan. Voice and text director is Rebecca Clark Carey; fight director is U. Jonathan Toppo and Jill Rendall is stage manager.

Henry IV, Part Two is supported by Sponsor the Hitz Foundation and Partners Flying Pigs Aviation, Ann P. Wyckoff and The Kinsman Foundation. U.S. Bank is the Season Sponsor of the 2017 season.

Founded by Angus Bowmer in 1935, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents an eight-month season of up to 11 plays that include works by Shakespeare as well as a mix of classics, musicals, and world-premiere plays and musicals. OSF's play commissioning programs, which include American Revolutions: the United States History Cycle, have generated works that have been produced on Broadway, throughout the American regional theatre, and in high schools and community theatres across the country. The Festival draws attendance of more than 400,000 to approximately 800 performances every year and employs approximately 575 theatre professionals.

OSF invites and welcomes everyone, and believes the inclusion of diverse people, ideas, cultures and traditions enriches both our insights into the work we present on stage and our relationships with each other. OSF is committed to equity and diversity in all areas of our work and in our audiences.

OSF's mission statement: "Inspired by Shakespeare's work and the cultural richness of the United States, we reveal our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, deepened by the kaleidoscope of rotating repertory."

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