Utah Shakespeare Festival’s “Henry VI, Part One” is flawed, but Joan of Arc sizzles
It might be titled “Henry VI, Part One” but this Utah Shakespeare Festival production is all about Joan of Arc.
OK, so the entire play is not focused squarely on Joan de Pucelle, but Tracie Lane’s portrayal of the famous French heroine is the reason to see this history by William Shakespeare. It’s apparent from her first appearance, in the midst of one of several strikingly staged battle scenes.
Joan is both fierce and majestic. Lane infuses her character with passion and soul. Even when Joan gets haughty, Lane delivers it with sizzle. Her complete inhabitation of Joan of Arc is like a magnetic force; you cannot take your eyes away whenever she’s on stage, bringing this historical “Wonder Woman” to life.
However, costume designer Lauren T. Roark is also part of that Joan de Pucelle sizzle. All of Roark’s threads in this show are superb, but there’s something particularly dynamic about the Maid of Orléans’ fighting fatigues.
Since many of Lane’s appearances are during battle scenes, fight director Geoffrey Kent deserves credit for the realistic swordplay and the intensity of the fighting. Kent is also the only actor who challenges Lane’s ownership of this play with his solid performance as Lord Talbot.
All of these elements provide a lot to love in “Henry VI, Part One.” But it’s also a troubled play.
Director Henry Woronicz does many things right, especially as he heightens the drama at important moments throughout the production. But his choice to use loud pop music at various intervals is unfortunate.
The idea itself is not necessarily misguided, but the execution is flawed. It’s most noticeably jarring as the play is about to break for intermission and Lane is delivering an impassioned speech. We’re hanging on her every word … until suddenly we can’t hear her words because the rising volume of the pop music is drowning her out.
This particular moment is especially troubling because it’s one of the few times in Shakespearean histories where a female character is given such a prominent moment to speak. Maybe symbolism was intended, and we’re supposed to compare this actual obfuscation of a woman’s voice as a metaphor for how the voices of women are still too often drowned out modern culture.
Maybe.
But the use of slightly too loud pop music at other points of the play makes the symbolism idea seem unlikely.
To Woronicz’s credit, though, the director has made this play not only interesting but fairly entertaining, and it is not one of the Bard’s best plays. There’s a disjointed feel throughout — a feeling that can be traced directly to Shakespeare’s play itself.
Helping Woronicz make this play a little more palatable is scenic designer Apollo Mark Weaver. There’s an elegance in the simplicity of his scenery and a modern art aesthetic to the wooden structural designs he uses.
The work of lighting designer Michael Pasquini is also brilliant throughout, especially when he creates murky shadows to enhance the battle scenes.
Oh, and this play is named for an English royal, so let’s not forget him. While Henry is almost a side character in his own play, Jim Poulos plays the young king with an endearing charm, full of youthful candor and a generous dose of naiveté.
It’s actually quite moving to see Henry’s naiveté fade somewhat in the second half as he’s forced to referee the beginnings of the War of the Roses, which will be encapsulated in “The Conclusion of Henry VI, Parts Two and Three” during USF’s 2019 season.
Poulos is also the recipient of another lovely costume design by Roark, who has truly given us some of the best costumes to ever make their way to the stages of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
Overall, this remains an imperfect production. Yet Lane’s performance as Joan of Arc alone makes it worth the price of admission. If nothing else, go see it for her.
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Henry VI, Part One” continues through Sept. 6 in the Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre at Southern Utah University’s Beverley Center for the Arts in Cedar City. Tickets are $20–$75. Visit bard.org or call (800) 752-9849.
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