HENRY IV, PART I
HENRY IV, PART I
Reviewed by Jeffrey R Smith of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle
HENRY IV is perhaps the most ambitious play Marin Shakespeare has attempted since the Cordilleran ice sheet retreated north of Montana.
While Robert Currier has always been the best source of both Shakespearean and non-Shakerspearean comedy in Marin County, this summer, he and Rob Clare, have stuck their feet into more serious, strenuous and profounder waters.
While Bob may not strike most people as a serious man, including those who don't know him, he is capable of ambitious Shakespeare and this show proves it.
William Elsman is perhaps the most remarkable actor in the Marin troupe: as the eponymous Hotspur ( a.k.a. Henry Percey 1364 – 1403 c.e.) Elsman's performance will absolutely rock you back in your seat.
Becareful, the seating at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre has no headrest, if you rock back reflexively you may upset someone's Pinot Grigio and pate foie gras.
Not since Cato showed fresh Carthaginian figs to the Roman Senate and Powell showed satellite photos to the U.N. Assembly, has anyone argued more hotly for war than Elsman's Hotspur.
When Hotspur finishes his firery call to arms, the audience is frantically ransacking their picnic baskets looking for weapons in order to join Hotspur's rebel alliance.
Grant Goodman as Prince Hal acts with nuance and transparency.
Given the role of Hal, Goodman must make a moral descent and mischievously cavort with rogues like Falstaff; yet continue to radiate a noble birth and a greater destiny than the company he keeps.
As the swallows annually return to Capistrano, so too does George Maguire annually return to the Marin Shakespeare Company stage: George plays Northumberland with the all depth and breadth his curriculum vitae would intimate.
In the opinion of his groupies, fans and followers, George's biggest credential is his role in the cult classic FIGHT CLUB: George appears eighth in the FIGHT CLUB cast credits: three slots ahead of Sydney "Big Dawg" Colston and merely six slots below Brad Pitt himself.
Stephen Reynolds is superb as Falstaff.
Be reminded however, this is not type casting: aside from his forays to Marin, MR Reynolds leads a very respectable life in Los Angeles: has been married, uninterruptedly, for 32 halcyon years.
However, Stephen does not let the straight life of L.A. interfere with his stage portrayal of Falstaff: he plays the bawdy, boastful buffoon and wastrel as if he had lived West Marin all his life.
The resourcefulness of the Marin Shakespeare Company is conspicuous in the details of its productions: in this case the costuming by Abra Berman is splendid.
Younger audiences will certainly enjoy the swashbuckling choreographed—bloodlessly, to everyone's relief—by Anthony Shaw Abate.
Lighting, which can be a real challenge in a theater without a ceiling or walls, was—excuse the pun—brilliantly achieved by Ellen Brooks.
As time moves forward, Elizabethan English remains rooted in a glorious past.
While the actors precisely chisel the rich words of Shakespeare—like Cellini carved the marble that formed his Narcissus—it is none-the-less highly recommended that you do some speed-reading, before the curtain goes up.
In the colorful program, read: the Artistic Director Welcome, the Directors' Notes and the brief Plot Synopsis, before the sun recedes below the tree line.
If you are looking for superlative Shakespeare, you need not contribute to global warming by driving your CO2 generator up the perilous Interstate Five to Ashland, nor need you rob your kids' paltry college funds to pay for the exorbitant fossil fuel.
Convenient—free—parking, abundant—clean—picnic tables, orthopedic—thermal—seat cushions, and a pleasant—volunteer—staff that will make you feel like a V.I.P. are all awaiting you in a eucalyptus copse in San Rafael.
During the Golden Age, thanks to Pisistratus, the Athenians had Sophocles at the Great Dionysian; presently, thanks to the Currier Family (Robert and Leslie), we have Shakespeare at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre.
To prove to yourself that life is more than the sum of your purchases and conquests, get thee to an enchanting evening of Shakespeare.
For tickets check out the web site at www.marinShakespeare.org or call the box office at 415-499-4488.
Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.