Theater Reviews

Henry IV, Part I and Shining City


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Published: Apr 13, 2010

History Repeating

Mark Garvin

SPILL YOUR GUTS: Peter Pryor's Falstaffian fat suit in Lantern Theater Co.'s Henry IV, Part I is "distractingly false."

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William Shakespeare's histories receive few productions stateside: We don't know enough about our own relatively short history, let alone another country's centuries of bloody succession struggles. Lantern Theater Co.'s Charles McMahon sees that they offered Shakespeare opportunities outside the comedy and tragedy labels, as his engaging Henry IV, Part I shows.

The play covers the instability after Richard II's death and Henry IV's ascension, and though titles and motivations blur occasionally (due, in part, to inevitable role-doubling, despite Lantern's great cast making a spirited effort at character clarity), the personal stories shine through. Henry's son Hal (Allen Radway) coasts on his impending legacy, partying with degenerate Falstaff (Peter Pryor). Henry admits he'd rather have violent-tempered warrior Henry "Hotspur" Percy (Andrew Kane) as son and heir.

Showdowns are inevitable: Hal must shake off his frat-boy lifestyle, reconcile with Daddy and prove he's England's next king. Along the way, though, the nearly three-hour play never falters, with strong performances from Jered McLenigan, David Blatt, Tim Moyer, Mary Lee Bednarek and Russ Widdall as both Hal's drinking buddies and Henry's allies and enemies. McLenigan shines as clever Poins in a scheme to humiliate Falstaff, and as rabid Scot warrior Douglas. Kane's Hotspur is saved from all bluster through amusing, affecting scenes with his neglected wife (Rachael Joffred).

In a production where humanity trumps history, McMahon makes one significant miscalculation: doubling Pryor as Henry and Falstaff. This defines them as Hal's competing spiritual fathers, but its obviousness offers little while its execution sacrifices much. Pryor's smart, fiery king is overshadowed by his ridiculous Falstaff fat suit, which seems to be the only characterization the actor and director attempt: Its back fat-mounds are distractingly false, as is the thin man's head poking out the top and the skinny legs holding it up. He just doesn't move like a man of Falstaff's famous girth and appetite. An actor devoted to Falstaff, one of Shakespeare's funniest characters, would make both Falstaff and Pryor's Henry more significant and genuine.

Still, McMahon and co.'s efforts make exciting theater of a play that dares to juxtapose a brutal battle (sword-clanging by fight director J. Alex Cordaro) and Falstaffian slapstick in its climax, revealing the history plays' seldom-seen potential. Through May 2, $27-$35, Lantern Theater Co., 923 Ludlow St., 215-829-0395, lanterntheater.org.

—Mark Cofta

Rise and Shine

Few things gladden a critic's heart more than seeing admired artists exceed even their own best work. That's precisely what's happening at Theatre Exile, where director Matt Pfeiffer and some marvelous actors bring a near-perfect combination of simplicity and breathtaking assurance to Conor McPherson's haunting play, Shining City. This is great theater.

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But come prepared: Onstage you'll find four characters and two boxes of Kleenex, a fair measure of the deeply sad world McPherson offers up. In the drabbest imaginable room in Dublin, John and Ian meet for psychotherapy sessions.John, the patient, is a voluble man in his late 40s whose wife recently died in a horrific car accident. He wasn't there, but he's shattered by feelings of guilt — and the sense that his wife's ghost is still with him.Ian is the therapist here, but his life has a difficult history of its own, including a failing marriage and a not-entirely-seamless transition from his former life as a priest to this new career.

McPherson, a born storyteller, is especially adroit at working in miniature, and the power of Shining City lies in the details.This isn't a barnstorming play; the revelations aren't surprises but rather the exposure of inevitable human frailty.To be fair, much of this emotional landscape is familiar territory in Irish drama (though we should all be grateful that alcohol makes only a cameo appearance).

But what heartrending, astonishing skill is here in the delivery.Watch Scott Greer as John when he talks about the expensive coat he bought for his wife, and a mundane story becomes monumental. Greer's emotional engagement and his command of McPherson's halting language are so absolute that he seems to be discovering every word for the first time.It's an unforgettable performance.In the less virtuosic role of Ian, William Zielinksi is equally fine — completely and appropriately devoid of glamour, extraordinary in his ordinariness.Geneviéve Perrier and Keith Connallen fill out the cast — their roles are smaller, but their subtle, nuanced performances are full-scale.

Guiding all of this is Matt Pfeiffer's masterful direction — even the transitions between scenes are as eloquent here as McPherson's monologues. The designs (set and sound by Jorge Cousineau, costumes by Alison Roberts, lights by Thom Weaver) unerringly complement the tone. Shining City is a brilliant, powerful, not-to-be-missed event. Through April 25, $25-$30, Plays & Players Theater, 1714 Delancey St., 215-218-4022, theatreexile.org.

—David Anthony Fox