Margin Notes: King John

Isaac Miller as Bastard. Photo by David Andrew Laws.

King John

Seen on: Wednesday, 3/23/16.
My grade: B+

Plot and Background

King John, recently inheriting his throne from his deceased brother Richard the Lionhearted, holds his crown with a tenuous grasp - challenged by France and Austria, who back his nephew Arthur as the rightful heir to follow Richard to the throne. Through a mixture of force, diplomacy, a bad run in with a Cardinal, and some underhanded manipulation, John struggles to maintain his power against overwhelming odds. King John is presented by Hamlet Isn't Dead, a Shakespeare company dedicated to performing Shakespeare's works in chronological order. They are partnering with Mary-Mitchell Campbell's organization, Artists Striving to End Poverty, on this production.

What I Knew Beforehand

I'd read the play but never seen it, and I've worked on one of Constance's monologues fairly recently. I knew that the company had cast a woman in the title role here, intending to explore how the threats to her crown played against her role as a woman surrounded by men in this production. I've also seen a few of Hamlet Isn't Dead's productions (and reviewed their Richard II).

Thoughts:

Play: It's rather a strange play, I realized midway through. Perhaps not atypical of Shakespeare's histories (I'd have to research it), the force and flow of the various players takes precedent over any intense character study of the titular monarch. Perhaps Richards II and III spoiled me for thinking I'd be getting some soliloquies from our King, but I was disappointed to realize how little I was being let in to John's rationale. Most of what we see of John is her public role, that of courtly behavior and kingly proclamations - only in the latter half of the play, when she first schemes for Arthur's death and then regrets that scheming, do we get any sense of the inner workings of John as a person. We get more of the Bastard's inner thoughts than any other character onstage (so perhaps it's appropriate he and John share the final bow here). Moving along from this, while King John may not be the most engaging of Shakespeare's histories, this is a thoroughly engaging production of it - streamlined to just over two hours, it is efficiently-paced, clearly presented, and overall entertaining. Director Lisa LaGrande stages it in my favorite style (thrust), and effectively crafts dynamic stage pictures where everyone has a good view of the action. Each act begins with a throwback - a dumb show, a gestured dance on the worship of power - and she finds a moment of poetry within the narrative, too, in young Arthur's attempted escape from prison. The battle is perhaps the least effectively staged, in terms of communicating either danger or a narrative, but that is a minor complaint in a highly competent production. For those who haven't seen this rarely-produced history, this is definitely worth catching.

Cast: As with all Hamlet Isn't Dead productions I've seen, the text work from the ensemble is uniformly excellent (so props to Text Coach Dayle Towarnicky). The ensemble is very strong, clear, and honest in its work, with a number of standouts - let's list them, shall we? Kathryn Connors effortlessly exuding power and intelligence in the title role; Steven Godoy's Dauphin Lewis, full of righteous fury and bloodlust; Isaac Miller, charismatic and surprisingly idealistic as the Bastard; the sweet earnest affection between Leah Alfieri's young Arthur and David Hentz's steadfast Hubert; the passionate yet determined grief of Brooke Reynolds's Constance. This play is particularly rich in showpieces for its players - emotional monologues, arguments and battles - and the cast is more than up to its challenges.

***

Running: Now playing at Westbeth Artist Community (Hamlet Isn't Dead) - Opening: March 23, 2016. Closing: March 26, 2016.
Category: straight play
Length: 2 hours, 10 minutes, including intermission.
Tip: The theater is a bit hard to find if you enter through the 55 Bethune Street entrance (though the security guard will direct you). You might fare better approaching from the 155 Bank Street side (one block south of Bethune) and walking up the courtyard.

Creative Team

Playwright: William Shakespeare
Director: Lisa LaGrande
Designers: Nathan Luttrull (Lighting), Samantha Morrice (Assistant Director), Dayle Towarnicky (Voice & Text Coach).
Cast: Kathryn Connors, Dani Cervone, Travis Klemm, Isaac Miller, Steven Godoy, Leah Alfieri, David Hentz, Brooke Reynolds, Josh Mahaffey, Shakiera Sarai, Isaac Andrew.

Kathryn Connors, center, as King John, with company.
Photo by David Andrew Laws.