Druid Theater History Plays

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/14/15 at 8:34am

Has anyone seen this production? I am doing the marathon on Saturday, and wonder how it is to do the full 7 hours in one day. I did the Stoppard UTOPIA marathon years ago and loved it. And I love Shakespeare and am totally familiar with the four plays involved. Any thoughts?

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/14/15 at 5:15pm

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

 

 

[Harriet Craig]

Posted: 7/15/15 at 11:07pm

I saw Part 2 (consisting of Henry IV, Part 2 and Henry V) tonight. On the whole, I enjoyed it, with one big exception: I didn't like the performance by the actress who played Prince Hal/Henry V. In theory, I have nothing against gender-blind casting, but I wonder whether Henry V might be one role that really shouldn't be played by a woman. In any event, the actress in this production shouted her way through the role as if she thought she could convey manliness by shouting.

That said, I thought everyone else in the cast was terrific, especially Marie Mullen, Aaron Monaghan, and Dearbhle Crotty (who probably has much more to do as Bolingbroke in Part 1 than she does in Part 2, first as the dying Henry IV, and then in the small role of Montjoy).

Henry IV, Part 2 is condensed down to an hour, and Henry V is just under an hour and a half. I can't say I missed any of the scenes that were cut too terribly, and I was actually glad they cut the wooing scene at the end of Henry V, because I always find that scene pretty tedious. Spoiler alert: Without that scene at the end, the play ends differently from the way it's written, on a much less militarily triumphal note. That's the Irish spin, I guess.

 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 7/15/15 at 11:13pm

I didn't like the performance by the actress who played Prince Hal/Henry V.

Her name is Aisling O'Sullivan.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/15/15 at 11:38pm

Are the men in women parts successful? I know that I should be more accustomed to that after the Globe productions last year but a man as Mistress Quickly is a little disconcerting for me.

[Harriet Craig]

Posted: 7/15/15 at 11:47pm

The only man who plays a woman's part is John Olohan, who plays Mistress Quickly (as well as a couple of male roles). I would say he was successful, although I did find it a bit disconcerting at first to see a man (with a full beard, no less) in that role. It didn't help that his costume as Mistress Quickly is distractingly silly.