A double dose of ‘Henry’
- Share via
In its fifth season of free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park, the Independent Shakespeare Company presents both parts of “Henry IV,” picking up the historical cycle that began last year with “Richard II.” This avid compression of the Bard’s sprawling War of the Roses centrifuge is in many ways a representative, articulate reading. Where it stumbles, well, it’s hard to decry either intent or admission price.
Certainly, the company’s emphasis on adherence to Shakespearean conditions is on display. A history cheat sheet comes with the program, but director Joseph Culliton generally keeps us abreast of who deposed whom and where everyone is rebelling and/or carousing. Relying mainly on a multipurpose table and a few chairs to evoke locales, Culliton also plays the title role, most creditably. David Melville does his usual bravura work as Hal. Danny Campbell dares a naturalistic Falstaff who owns the house from entrance on, while Sean Pritchett powers through Hotspur with immediacy.
Everyone contributes, notably Aubrey Saverino’s vivid Lady Percy, Erik Mathew’s fine-tuned Westmoreland and J. Paul Boehmer’s triple-whammy Glendower, Pistol and Mouldy. However, the staging is still gelling stylistically. The monk processions that begin each act lend formal precision; Culliton’s abstract treatment of the climactic Part 1 rebellion is striking.
--
‘Henry IV’
Where: Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays; runs in repertory, check www.indepen dentshakespeare.com for schedule
Ends: Aug. 23
Price: Free, but reservations recommended
Contact: (323) 836-0288
Running time: 3 hours, 5 minutes
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
