PicksInSix Review: Henry V - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Brilliantly Staged ‘Henry V’ at Shakes!
PicksInSix® Review | Ed Tracy

The explosive, contemporary staging of Chicago Shakespeare Theater Artistic Director Edward Hall’s “Henry V” that opened Friday is a riveting soldier’s war story dedicated to the modern military code of honor, duty, service and sacrifice and amplifies Shakespeare’s depiction of King Henry V (Elijah Jones), initially perceived as an ineffective leader, to conquering warrior. Hall’s production broadens the intense combat action that is central to the work.

That initial perception is dispensed early on as Henry keenly roots out deception within his ranks and then proceeds to turn an ambitious, undermanned and seemingly unwinnable assault on France into stunning victories at Harfleur and Agincourt and in so doing, claims the hand of France’s Princess Katherine (Courtney Rikki Green).

The modern framing of the piece allows the unique interweaving of Jon Trenchard’s original music and arrangements that include a variety of musical genres all accentuating the storytelling with a deep sense of patriotism and camaraderie that then turns quickly to the shocking realism of the battle. Framed in Michael Pavelka’s industrial metallic scenic and extraordinary costume design presents a strikingly unified vision. The Courtyard Theatre is draped in camouflage netting and bathed in Marcus Doschi’s searing lighting design with Emily Hayman’s pulsating sound to establish a staggering backdrop for Hall’s company of seasoned actors covering multiple roles at breakneck speed.

Hall dispenses with the prologue as a single voice incorporating the company as a chorus of voices who drive the pace of the production. Within the company of commandos arise superb individual performances: the strong presence—and singularly extraordinary entrance—of Jaylon Muchison’s Montjoy; Axejandra Escante’s Dauphin (and also an almost unrecognizable Mistress Quickly); Rachel Crowl’s Fluellen;  Gregory Linington’s Archbishop of Canterbury; and, pretty much every time Scott Aiello (Nym and others) appears with Ronald L. Conner (Bardolph) and Demetrios Troy (Pistol) as the ragtag Eastcheap Three with the Lad (Green). The unique and multi-faceted roles of Kate Fry include the gentlewoman Alice and feature her appealing bilingual abilities as Monsieur le Fer to Green’s thoroughly enchanting Katherine. Sean Fortunato (King of France/Sir Thomas Erpingham) stands out in this exceptionally fine ensemble.

Elijah Jones is HENRY V at Chicago Shakespeare Theater through October 6, 2024.

And there at the center of it all is Jones’s Henry who so tentatively takes the throne at the top, dispatching his distractors and leading the invasion with the courage and the decisive authority of a battle seasoned warrior. Jones portrays Henry the commander as a soldiers soldier and ally, as a disciplined ruler in the negotiations with Muchison’s Montjoy and as Katherine’s enamored suitor.

There are exhilarating moments of brotherhood, humor and song, stirring special effects and deftly creative enactments of justice. At the most intense moments of this brilliantly staged drama, the sometimes dense text emerges with broad clarity, a longstanding objective of Chicago Shakes to bring the more complex elements of Shakespeare’s plays to an ever-expanding audience on Navy Pier.      

PHOTO|Liz Lauren

Chicago Shakespeare Theater
presents
HENRY V
through October 6, 2024

Courtyard Theater
Navy Pier

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PICKSINSIX Review: Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)

“HERO HAS BEEN CALLED TO SERVE!”

An ageless struggle... The lyric voice of the Oldest Old Man rings true when he confronts Penny about the reasons for Hero to join the Confederate cause early in Part 1 of the Chicago premiere of Suzan-Lori Parks' epic Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) directed by Niegel Smith. With all the passion of one who understands an ageless struggle for a cause greater than himself, he emphatically pleads “Hero has been called to serve!” It is a complex and conflicted decision that Hero alone must make in this dark and sullied era of our nation’s history.

No common ground... It is clear from Hero’s journey that we are today no better connected together than 150 or 200 years ago. Our culture, so often portrayed in only black or white, seems to have no common ground. There is a reason to hope that Ms. Parks will help to heal the open wounds that her glorious work exposes so well, with so much passion, humor and at a tempo that makes us lose ourselves in the telling and our deep sense of regret and despair. 

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The heroic myth ... You will be both rewarded for your time and well-prepared for the next six-parts of the story which are in development now from an astoundingly original playwright who is the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Decades from now, all this will certainly be a commanding challenge for any theater company to play in repertory and one that is already highly-anticipated – the heroic myth – an epic journey of intersected characters and generational transformations as the title suggests. In the meantime, we are fortunate to have an extraordinary ensemble on full display at Goodman in a stirring production worthy of the material.

Challenging loyalty... Be sure to pay particular attention to the Homeresque opening monologue artfully delivered by the Leader(Jacqueline Williams) that sets the stage for all that follows. Struggling with the impact of slavery and all of the ideals restricting freedom and challenging loyalty, there is one particularly astonishing moment in Part 2 when the Colonel(an icy William Dick) revels in the thrill of human ownership and in so doing, sucks the air out of the room.

The wrong side of history... With the war drawing closer to home, the conflict of slaves conscripted to fight on the wrong side of history is the pivotal decision Hero must make in Part 1. Part 2 is set on a hot afternoon in a shady grove with the Colonel, Hero and a wounded Union prisoner. Part 3, aided by a Greek chorus of runaways and a human dog, unravels the futility of the conflict and lays forth the inevitable, sordid human costs of war.

Highly-charged... It is the riveting, highly-charged performance of Kamal Angelo Bolden’s Hero that churns mightily throughout while Jaime Lincoln Smith’s resonate Homer and the impassioned performance of Aimè Donna Kelly as Penny are capitivating. Dick and Demetrios Troy’s Smith propel Hero's journey in Part 2 and provide the most chilling and acerbic views of what it is to be white, own property and place race at the center of the argument. Watching this unfold and leading the way is the Musician, a superb crossover performance from Chicago blues artist Melody Angel. The exceptional cast includes Ernest Perry, Jr (Oldest Old Man) and BrittanyLove Smith, perfect as man’s best friend, of which there are few in this darkly rich introduction to what is sure to be a much-talked-about epic trilogy... only at Goodman through June 24th, and then the journey continues elsewhere.

PHOTOS|Liz Lauren



Goodman Theatre
Presents
Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)
Written by Suzan-Lori Parks
Directed byNiegel Smith
through June 24th
312.443.3800

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