“...Sleeping Swords of War”
This production was written by the Bard, W. Shakespeare, and
directed by Rosa Joshi. It is playing at
the Thomas Theatre at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, in repertory,
through October. For more information,
go to their site at www.osf.ashland.org
Warfare is a private affair that only the profane
understand. Why do countries/peoples
insist on putting innocence at bay and destroying civilizations? It is beyond most mortals understanding and
yet it happens all too frequently. You
only have to witness our present-day circumstances to see that it continues to
multiply. When will it end and Mankind
embrace the prospect of compassion for all living things?! A Creator must weep and intone, “look what
they’ve done to my Song.”
The characters in this “human comedy” are the King of
England (and France, too, depending on your viewpoint), Henry V (Daniel José
Molina). He has since shed the shackles
of his frivolous youth, as Hal, as well
as his rotund and endearing friend, Falstaff, and now must make do with “the
winds of war.” His adversary in this
duel is the King of France, Charles VI (Rex Young) and his son, the Dauphin
(Moses Villarama).
Henry’s companions in this battle for men’s souls, include
his ole cronies from the Falstaff era, Pistol (Kimberly Scott), a fellow whose
tongue is long on wit but short on action; Bardolph (Robert Vincent Frank), a
scalawag whose loose actions take a deadly turn; Nym (Shaun Taylor-Corbett),
who may be dense as a cucumber but long on loyalty; and Boy (Jessica Ko), an
innocent, seeking a “brave new world” even in “the cannon’s mouth.”
There are other loyal subjects, too, the Lords that
valiantly form an alliance with the King, like the Duke of Exeter (Tyrone
Wilson), Henry’s uncle; the Duke of Bedford (Jeremey Gallardo), Henry’s brother;
the Earl of Westmoreland (Christopher Salazar); and the Earl of Salisbury
(Shyla Lefner), as well as countless soldiers and peasants on both sides. And the women, too, the backbone of any
Nation, like Mistress Quickly (Michele Mais), the proprietor of an alehouse,
and the French Princess, Katherine, (Ko, again), who is the salve, for a while
anyway, “to soothe the savage beast.”
These are the noble “band of brothers” that form the alliances for this
never-ending story. To experience this
complicated but meaningful story, you must see it for yourself.
Keep in mind this extraordinary crew of twelve actors play
over forty roles in the Bard’s, perhaps, greatest play, of the histories and it
certainly has the best monologue of this genre, the rousing, “St. Crispin’s
Day” speech. It also, for all it’s
bravado displaying the “dogs of war,” gives both a grand panorama of nation building/destroying,
as well as portraying a microcosm of both the common man, and the nobles
involved, in less than a three-hour time span.
This production ranks (with Branagh’s excellent film of the same story)
as the best interpretations of this epic tale, in my opinion!
The story highlights both the glories of such ventures, such
as the above-mentioned speech; to the smallest of gestures, when gloves are
exchanged in the defense of honor; to deadly, personally painful examples being
made to maintain discipline; and yet, a soft voice of a Lady, will make even
the strongest of men kneel. Such is the
nature, too, of Warfare. Joshi has done
an amazing job piecing it all together into such a human fabric of our
existence. And her Cast is the thread
that holds it all together. She keeps it
moving at a break-neck pace with the simplest of devices, and yet it never
loses the gist of the story. Kudos to
her and her team!
But, standing a notch above a stellar cast, is Molina, as
Henry, having progressed through his “Hal” stages in the Henry IV’s, now has
delivered the coup de grace in this final epic.
He is nothing short of terrific!
Also standing tall, too, is Scott, as Pistol, whose physical gestures
gives credence to a sad, blustering and witty fellow who has no equal, an image
of his own mind and making. And Ko is
terrific, in her three major portrayals, as the naïve Boy; as the elfin French
princess; and the conflicted Montjoy, a messenger with a heart, all portrayals,
spot on. She is a treasure and makes
those roles sparkle!
It should be noted that, with all the artistic joy this
production of the Henry trilogy brings, it is sad to report that G. Valmont
Thomas, who portrayed Falstaff, one of the great comic characters in all of the
Bard’s Canon, has passed on. He was, as
I observed, one of a kind in that role.
He will be sorely missed!
I highly recommend this production. If you do choose to see it, please tell them
that Dennis sent you.
The Black Sheep
As followers of this blog probably already know, this is my
favorite place in all of Ashland to eat and imbibe. My friends and I (one a Brit) ate at least 3
meals here this trip. Our orders ranged
from the fish pie, to the pasty, to Mum’s Favorite Dinner on Sunday’s menu, to
Irish Stew and Shepherd’s Pie with nary a bad morsel anywhere! They also have homemade desserts and soups,
also both excellent. Their cuisine is of
the British Isles, appropriate for a Shakespearean township, with a full bar
and traditional Brit beers, too.
Throughout the week they also have entertainment at various times and
they stay open late after the plays are over.
Clarinda, the owner, exudes warmth; Greg, the bar manager, treats you
like an old friend; and Raquel, is a real charmer with a winning smile, are
often there and are part of the reason I keep coming back…it feels like home,
family. In fact, it is their motto, a
place “where you belong!” I highly
recommend this place and mention my name, if you go there, to one of them. Check out their site, too: www.theblacksheep.com
and look for the red door.
--DJS
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