The version of Shakespeare's Henry V on stage at New Theater in South Florida has a cast of nine: five men and four women -- playing more than 30 roles, with Henry, the carouser-turned-monarch, played by a slender black actress. But the casting anomalies are pretty much put aside after the lights come up on the first act. There's no winking gender-bending here, just actresses playing men (no actors playing women) on a tiny stage in a production made memorable mostly by its big-hearted second half.
The plea from Chorus to the audience as the troupe endeavors to "cram within this wooden O" scenes of royal pomp and battlefield carnage aptly applies to New Theater's postage stamp of a playing area. Set design addresses the problem well. A banner hanging center stage replicates the title page from the first quarto: "The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth" [sic]. It's flanked by colored banners -- on one side, golden dragons on red, before which scenes set in England are played; on the other, golden fleurs-de-lis against pale blue, signifying France. For specifics, the program includes a map. The Coral Gables theater is working its way through the Shakespeare canon, and the effort has produced some notable results: a heart-wrenching King Lear, a hilarious The Taming of the Shrew and a very likable As You Like It. Though this pared-down Henry V doesn't make it into that league, there are nice touches throughout. Ronald Mangravite adapts, directs and also plays Chorus. Sipiwe Moyo, an NYU Tisch School grad making her New Theater debut, does well by the king, not declaiming every line but speaking the speeches plainly. And having the soldiers all but drown out Henry toward the end of the "once more unto the breach" speech lends the scene a bit of spontaneity it sometimes lacks. More good stuff: a recurring bit of eye-patch business for Pistol, whom Tara Vodihn invests with body language that is all angles, as befits the scheming character. Quickly's description of Falstaff's death is nicely limned by Merry Jo Cortada, who gets to wear a splendid hat as the Queen of France. And the scenes in which the French Princess Katherine (Christina Groom) struggles with English, first with Alice (Vodihn again) then with Henry, are appropriately charming. The moments that resonate most come as a hooded King Henry walks anonymously among his soldiers on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt. The scene is lit by hand-held lanterns at ground level; it's played quietly but audibly. On the other side of the stage, some too confident French functionaries gather under a scattering of stars. Very simple, and together quite moving.
Opened:
August 26, 2011
Ended:
September 10, 2011
Country:
USA
State:
Florida
City:
Coral Gables
Company/Producers:
New Theater
Theater Type:
Regional
Theater:
New Theater
Theater Address:
4120 Laguna Avenue
Phone:
305-443-5909
Website:
new-theatre.org
Running Time:
2 hrs, 15 min
Genre:
Drama
Director:
Ronald Mangravite
Review:
Cast:
Sipiwe Moyo (Henry V); Ronald Mangravite (Chorus/Exeter); Robert Alter (Westmoreland/Bourbon/Williams/Le Fer); Merry Jo Cortada (Quickly/Montjoy/Governor/French Soldier/Bates/Queen); Tara Vodihn (Pistol/Alice/Scroop/British Soldier); Scott Douglas Wilson
(Gower/Charles V/King of France/Orleans/Canterbury); Charles Sothers
(Fluellen/Constable/Duke of Burgandy/Bardolph/Ely); Christina Groom (Katherine/Nym/Earl of Cambridge/Dauphin/English Soldier); Jordy Diaz (Boy)
Technical:
Lighting: Kris Cardenas; Sound: Ozzie Quintana; Production Stage Manager: Jerry Jensen.
Other Critics:
MIAMI HERALD Christine Dolen - / MIAMI NEW TIMES Camille Lamb X / FLORIDA THEATER ON STAGE Bill Hirschman +
Critic:
Julie Calsi
Date Reviewed:
August 2011
