Henry VIII
Greenstage’s production of Henry VIII, directed expertly by Teresa Thuman, is perhaps the best Shakespeare show I have ever seen; although the play itself is deeply flawed. Originally entitled The Famous History of the Life of Henry the Eighth it was first performed in 1613 and scholars cannot agree as to whether it was written by Shakespeare alone or whether it was a collaboration between Shakespeare and John Fletcher.
Henry VIII opens when Cardinal Wolsey is Henry’s chief advisor and Henry’s marriage to Katherine of Aragon has not produced the coveted male heir, necessary to stabilize the dynasty and prevent another long and bloody civil war. A long speech forecasting a great future for Henry’s daughter Elizabeth (by his second wife, Anne Boleyn) ends the play. Through various political, sexual and religious intrigues, the ruthlessness of ambition, the precariousness of life at court, and the way religious issues serve the great god Mammon are expertly portrayed.
The major flaw in the play is that it is episodic without a clear protagonist; another flaw is that much of the plot happens off-stage, so that the actors are forced to recount the events to the audience. However, this production was so solid in every aspect that the production transcended the flaws.
Vocally, the entire cast was up to the challenges of the script and all had an excellent command of the language. There were superb performances by Michael D. Blum as Cardinal Wolsey and especially Erin Day as Katherine of Aragon, Henry’s first wife. According to the Riverside Shakespeare, the dialogue of the divorce court scenes of Katherine and Henry was lifted straight from the court record, so these scenes had a dramatic immediacy which was lacking in many of the other scenes. These scenes were deeply moving due to the performance of Ms. Day.
The death bed scene of Katherine was staged in an extremely imaginative stylized manner and is a credit to the director, as is the decision to mic the show. Volunteer Park as an outdoor theatre venue is a disaster-on a flight path straight to Sea-Tac- and very noisy.
After seeing a number of badly costumed low budget shows this season, I commend the director for choosing costumes which were in keeping with the Renaissance opulence of Henry’s court. The costumes by Janessa Jayne Styck made this show extremely visually appealing, in spite of the ugliness of the Volunteer Park amphitheatre.
Since Henry VIII is rarely performed this production is a must-see for anyone seriously interested in Shakespeare or anyone interested in Tudor history
Henry VIII, directed by Theresa Thurman, Greenstage Theatre Company. Through August 18. Matinée and evening performances in parks in Seattle, the Eastside, Burien and Lynnwood. Free. www.GreenStage.org