While most South Florida stages are basking in the glow of
holiday cheer productions, Dramaworks has chosen to present its antithesis, a
play set in the Christmas past of 1183, James Goldman's vision of the Plantagenet
family reunion (which actually never happened) in Chinon, France, at the castle
of King Henry II, along with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine who he has briefly
released from a prison exile in England, their sons, Richard (the Lionheart),
Geoffrey, and John, as well as France's King Philip II, and his half-sister,
Princess Alais Capet.
Most of the play circles around alliances made and then broken,
focused on which son of Henry's will inherit the throne, who gets what
territory, which Prince will marry Princess Alais, or, for that matter whether
Henry himself will marry the Princess who is half his age if he can get his
marriage to Eleanor annulled by the Pope (who owes him one), whether King
Philip can recover territory Henry promised to return when Philip's father was
alive, and last but not least, whether Eleanor will be able to secure her
freedom from the soul crushing 10 year imprisonment she has endured. As the foregoing suggests, there are endless
combinations for alliances between the characters who desperately want to
achieve their objectives with the least important factor being family love and loyalty. It is the perfect stuff of tragedy, but this
is equally balanced with comedic elements -- sublimely and acerbically written
by James Goldman.
What a delicious reprieve from the typical Christmas show as
behind the facade of the holiday is probably more family strife than anyone
cares to admit. The play has the tone of
the cynical Stephen Sondheim song from Follies,
"Could I Leave You?" and it is no surprise that Goldman and Sondheim
were friends and in fact collaborated on Follies,
for which Goldman wrote the book.
Goldman portrays the dysfunctional Plantagenet family using many
factual elements but much of it is totally imagined. They scheme and counter-scheme to the point
of exhaustion, mostly out of sheer boredom with their lives, where after a
tortuous scene Eleanor hilariously asks, "What family doesn't have its ups
and downs?"
The themes are as relevant today as they were in 1183. Just think of the mass killings, lack of gun
control, family shootings and the kaleidoscopic wars in which our species seems
to indulge. At one point Richard threatens John with a knife, John saying
"A knife -- he's got a knife."
Eleanor's reply to her sons covers war and its microcosm, families: "Of
course he has a knife. He always has a
knife. We all have knives. It is eleven eighty-three, and we're
barbarians. How clear we make it. Oh my piglets. we're the origins of war. Not history's forces nor the times nor
justice nor the lack of it nor causes nor religions nor ideas nor kinds of
government nor any other thing. We are
the killers; we breed war. We carry it,
like syphilis, inside. Dead bodies rot
in field and stream because the living ones are rotten. For the love of God, can't we love one
another just a little? That's how peace
begins. We have so much to love each
other for. We have such possibilities,
my children; we could change the world."
The language is so rich and witty, and if there is love, it
is of the contest itself, a wonderfully choreographed Tarantella of
never-ending verbal slings and arrows.
Dramaworks takes this splendidly written work and uses all its expertise
to bring the play to the level of a Broadway production, one which may not please
everyone as it is a complicated, and sometimes disturbing play. Black humor, perhaps, but there is a certain
honesty that prevails.
Professionalism shines through in the production, first with
the most ambitious set ever undertaken by the company (scenic design is by the
highly experienced and gifted Michael Amico), a revolving part of the stage
where as one scene is being presented to the audience, the other is being set
up behind stage. Goldman's play demands many
different scene changes and had Dramaworks not built its mechanized set, the
play would have had to be representationally presented or there would have been
those dreaded darkened moments while stage hands moved furniture, and this play
needs to move along without such interruption.
Amico's set allowed Dramaworks to have a perfect scene ready quickly and
appropriately decorated with tapestries and furniture, including one with a
Christmas tree.
The costume designs by Brian O’Keefe deserve a special
mention as they are so integral to the play and to the characters. O'Keefe not
only did his extensive period research, but made a careful study of the
characters themselves, designing each costume for that character's persona, and
then constructed each piece by hand. Only the belts and boots were purchased. As a result, both the King and Queen look
entirely regal. Their sons can be easily
distinguished by their dress -- Richard the Lionheart in his warlike appearance,
Geoffrey the middle son having a tight snake-like fitting attire, and the
younger, John, who borders on being a buffoon, dressed in almost a potato sack,
all these costumes so suitable to their personalities. The young Princess Alais is attired in simple
gowns while King Philip's attire reflects his youth, although a King in his own
right.
As usual, Dramaworks' casting is excellent. King Henry and Eleanor of Aquitaine are
played by two experienced Shakespearean actors, C. David Johnson and Tod
Randolph, respectively, and their classical expertise makes their presence
truly stately on stage. Theirs is a battle of wits and wills and Johnson and
Randolph make excellent foils, yet easily fall into each other's arms,
recalling their shared past. Richard is played by Chris Crawford, with the
authority expected of an experienced warrior, and with requisite relentless
ambition to succeed Henry. A Dramaworks veteran, Cliff Burgess, plays the sly
Geoffrey with chameleon-like precision, while Justin Baldwin portrays the clueless,
infantile John. Katherine Amadeo inhabits Alais with a calculating innocence,
entirely in love with and dedicated to Henry, the man, but, still, as a
Princess, knows her own mind, holding herself up well to the dominating
intellect of both Henry and Eleanor.
Pierre Tannous makes his Dramaworks debut as an actor, having been
active in the theatre company behind the scenes until now -- playing King
Philip, balancing his need to appear regal in spite of his young age.
The production is Directed by William Hayes who is also the
Producing Artistic Director of the theatre company. Lighting design is by Ron Burns, and sound
design by Matt Corey.
Eleanor: How,
from where we started, did we ever reach this Christmas? Henry: Step by step.
It's Christmas, 1183 at Dramaworks!
