The houselights go down, and we are shocked back in time by loud, discordant drums to somewhere near the midpoint of The Hundred Years War. “Henry V” at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox reminds us of why we fell in love with Shakespeare in the first place.
From the moment Henry, played by Ryan Winkles strides to his throne in the opening scene, resplendent in the trappings of a young monarch about to be insulted by a gift of tennis balls from the French Dauphin, he aspires to command the room. Winkles is the only actor in the play with a single role, and what a role it is! Establishing himself as a man set on a collision course with the lowlife friends of his carousing youth, he deals decisively with the traitors, The Earl of Cambridge (Sarah Jeanette Taylor), Lord Scroop (Kelley Galvin), and Sir Thomas Grey (Jennie M. Jadow), trying to become, before our eyes, a man to be reckoned with.
Later, we wanted to cheer as Henry tried to rouse his bedraggled troops outside of Agincourt with the glorious “Band of Brothers” speech, but he didn’t quite convince us he could lead this suffering, rough and tumble rabble to victory.
Winkles portrayed Henry’s sincerity, his young man’s doubts and sense of humor well, but he didn’t show enough of Henry’s young man power. Then he stood firm in his decision to make an example of Bardolph by hanging him for stealing, firmly turning from their wild, affectionate past. And finally, he wooed the audience along with the French king’s daughter, Katherine, as his practical attempt to cement the peace grew into one of the most charming love scenes in the English speaking theatre.
Great men are complicated, even in their youth, and Henry V’s extensive arc must be played convincingly in a short time. Roaming the battlefield in disguise before Agincourt, Winkles agonized about his responsibilities to his soldiers, and showed Henry to be a human and humane leader. On opening night, his confidence as warrior-king increased as the night went on, promising even more confidence as the run continues.
Director Jenna Ware’s Bare Bard approach allows the actors and the audience to focus on the plot, the poetry, the dynamism of this amazing history, creating an entire world with Winkles and only seven other brilliantly versatile actors. Definitively playing men and women, English and French, old and young, people of high and low birth, comedy and tragedy, the ensemble includes Jonathan Croy, David Joseph, Kelley Galvin, Jennie M. Jadow, Caroline Calkins and Tom Jaeger, as well as previously mentioned Sarah Jeanette Taylor.
Master costume designer Govane Lohbauer has invented some of her most perfect clothes for this show. Along with the subtly expressive lighting of James W. Bilnoski, the powerful sounds of Andy Talen, and a handful of straight-back, wooden chairs (by set designer and master of symbolic minimalism Patrick Brennan) they transport us from a throne room to a peasant inn, to Katherine’s boudoir, to several battles, and ultimately, to a peace table. With her fine choreography, especially in the second act battle scene, actor Sarah Jeanette Taylor adds another fine arrow to her growing professional quiver. Thanks to her and to the collaboration of her fellow players, fewer than ten people express everything there is to show about savagery, making the final shocking casualty count more poignant than ever.
David Joseph is particularly funny and touching as Nym and a rollicking figure of fun as the Dauphin of France; Caroline Calkins does beautiful work as the worldly luggage Boy as well as the naïve princess of France. The lightness of the English lesson she and Jennie M. Jadow share stands out.
There is consistent strength in Jenna Ware’s skillful editing of “Henry V” to fit (and magically expand) the Elayne P. Bernstein theatre. Jon Croy, a consummate actor, inhabits his disparate rolls as the Duke of Westmoreland, Pistol and the old King of France. Tom Jaeger (as Fluellen, the Welshman) and Ryan Winkles (as his king, who is also proud of his Welsh heritage) engage in a bantering/serious conversation as Henry wanders among the troops, adding another level of understanding to this action-packed character study.
“Henry V” is a muscular play, a perfect play to bring your teenagers and young adults to enjoy, so they, too, may fall in love with Shakespeare. It is truly the “muse of fire” announced by the chorus, equally beloved of men and women because it shows people as we are — particularly in our reactions to insults and our vain attachment to fighting and power. Its running time is about two hours with one intermission, and it goes by in a flash. Happily, we will have the opportunity to see “Henry V” until August 23rd.
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Henry V plays through August 23 at the Bernstein Theatre on the campus of Shakespeare & Company, 70 Kemble St., in Lenox, Massachusetts. For tickets and information, consult the Berkshire Edge Calendar. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office, anytime on-line at www.shakespeare.org, or by phone at 413-637-3353 during box office hours. The Bernstein Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.
