Telluride’s Palm theater presents Shakespeare’s Henry V, March 19

16 Mar Telluride’s Palm theater presents Shakespeare’s Henry V, March 19

[click "Play" button to hear Susan's interview with actress Carie Kawa]

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends…"

On Thursday, March 19, Telluride's Palm Theatre proudly presents The Acting Company's and Minneapolis' Guthrie Theater's edgy co-production of Shakespeare's "Henry V."

In "Henry V," King Henry of England is no longer the petulant youth who frolicked boisterously with friends in "Henry IV. " Prince Hal has put down his toys and picked up the sword – although he is still young
restless, haughty and ambitious. When he inherits a troubled crown, the born-again Henry seeks to secure his position at home by diverting his country's attention abroad. His target is France, where he launches a hasty invasion to claim his right to a kingdom and the daughter of the King who insulted him with a gift of tennis balls and enforced leek eating.

The war culminates in the Battle of Agincourt. The bloody campaign, which is a make-break  for the young ruler, who will go down in history either as a pure hero or purely Machiavellian, a winner or a loser in every sense. When the young ruler removes his crown to walk among his ragtag troops, self-righteous melts into self-doubt , which Henry scours into self-realization.

The Acting Company's King Henry is Matthew Arendt, a young man who gives the production its magnetic North. He is described by the critics as "handsome in a Tom Cruise kind of way," "charismatic" and blessed with a "clarion baritone." 

 Directed by Davis McCallum, the play expertly balances the thrilling heroics of battle with painful and complex reactions of men sometimes unsure of the justice of their cause. But rather than employing a cast of thousands, McCallum manages to perform this alchemy with an ensemble of just a  dozen actors. He uses an unnamed Chorus for running commentary on the action played out on spare sets.

The legendary John Houseman and Margot Harley founded The Acting Company in 1972 , a traveling troupe determined to develop top young talent and heighten the national taste for the classic work of Shakespeare to Orson Welles. The first busload carried Kevin Kline and Patti LuPone.

Today, Carie Kawa is part of the Tony award-winning company. In "Henry V," the talented young actress plays Alice, lady in waiting to Catherine, Princess of France. She is described as a "scene stealer." To learn more about this production, The Acting Company, and how a young girl from Concord, California made good, click the "play" button and listen to Carie's podcast.

The performance will be at the Palm on Thursday, March 19th at 7pm (tickets $28-$31/students and $30-$33/adults).

(cast photos by Michal Daniel)