"Henry V" |
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Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre is proud to present it's 2006 mainstage performance of Shakespeare's classic "Henry V". Known as a dramatic work celebrating nationalism and the glories of war, FST's production puts the focus on the people who find themselves fighting in a struggle between two great forces.
The production is designed to reflect and refract the eternal nature of violent conflict. FST's talented cast brings to the stage the history of Western war spanning time periods from medieval struggles in Europe to modern-day conflicts around the globe.
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THE ENGLISH THE FRENCH |
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PRODUCTION TEAM Costume Construction—Theresa Reed, Rose Meier, Nancy Johnson, Fiona Zachel,
Jey Johnston, Jan Dawe, Mary, Lander and Mariah VerHoef, Helen Howard, Pam Young, Jan
Cornforth, JoAnn Perkins, Alice Pennington, Carolyn Doll, Jean Hartman, Molly Sherman, Sally Levengood, Arlayne Knox, Ellen Williams, Rachel Kaplan |
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Opinion on “Henry V” from both critics and audiences is sharply divided, often at polar opposites in their views. This is because the play Shakespeare actually wrote is rarely seen. What people may think is “Henry V” is very different when you examine the text.
The Branagh and Olivier films – outstanding as they are - haven’t helped. Both cut around 1700 lines and excise crucial events to show Henry in a better light. It’s no wonder the general perception of the play is one of unrestrained patriotism - “the National Anthem in five acts”. As Derek Traversi has commented, the play is “most generally popular when imperfectly understood”.
In Shakespeare’s own lifetime this was also true. The Quarto published text, “as it hath been sundry times played”, omits much of the dialogue including the Choruses, the epilogue, and even Henry’s famous “Once more unto the breach”.
Why? Clearly it was too hot for the Elizabethan censors to handle. The play was drawing parallels between the action on stage and political events. Indeed Shakespeare mentions Essex (later to rebel against Elizabeth) not once but twice – the only direct reference to a contemporary figure in the cannon. As Ben Jonson put it, theatre should be “near, and familiarly allied to the time” and this is exactly what Shakespeare sets out to do.
Each time “Henry V” is performed it takes on the freshness of a new play. When the Chorus tells us to remember that what we’ve seen is past, he is in fact ironically commenting that events on stage are happening all around us. Shakespeare is using the past to comment on the present.
Here is something written in 1638 by Thomas Fuller in his book “The History of the Holy War”. He remarks that history:
“Not only maketh things past present but enableth one to make a rational conjecture of things to come. For this world affordeth no new accidents…old actions return again, furbished over with some new and different circumstances”.
Shakespeare certainly doesn’t glorify war in this play. He does, however, comprehend it. The politicians urging a military action of dubious legitimacy, the views of the “common soldier” whose lives will be lost during the campaign, the looting, the moments of comedy amid the horror of battle, the atrocities committed by both sides, the heroism of soldiers hopelessly outnumbered who bravely fight on, the peace accord which doesn’t bring peace at all but many more years of bitter conflict.
“Henry V” doesn’t present a single point of view but attempts to balance all sides of the argument. To set up a debate among the audience. We hope to do the same with this production. What do YOU think?
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