By Charlene Baldridge
On St. Crispin’s day, Oct. 25, a certain corner in Hillcrest rang with the sound of bagpipes; to be precise the one-night-only pipes and drums of the Cameron Highlanders. Inside ion theatre’s black box theatre at Sixth and Pennsylvania avenues, the New Fortune Theatre Company, instituted by Richard Baird and Matthew Thompson, was about to unveil its inaugural production, William Shakespeare’s “Henry V.”
Baird and Matthew Henerson co-direct the history play and also portray the lead characters. Baird provides an admirable, heroic and human King Henry V, who sports so real a wound under his left eye that one worries for the actor. Henerson assays the devious Archbishop of Canterbury and the Welsh captain, Fluellen, Shakespeare’s fictional, pedantic and lovable comic relief at the Battle of St. Crispin’s Day. Historically, the battle was waged at Agincourt, France, in 1415. In New Fortune’s production it takes place anywhere in time, yet is resonant with WWI, and has accouterments of modern warfare.
The young Henry, having eschewed his youthful escapades with John Falstaff (an off-stage character in this play) — and the Eastcheap characters; Nym, Pistol, Mistress Quickly and Bardolph (who appear in “Henry V”) — leads his army into battle with French forces that far outnumber his. They should be massacred, but they are not, and meanwhile Henry delivers some of Shakespeare’s greatest speeches and charmingly woos and wins the French princess, Katharine (Amanda Schaar, who also presents a fetching Boy on the battlefield).
Boy is part of Fluellen’s cadre, along with the aforementioned reluctant and incompetent Nym (Marcus L. Overton), Pistol (John Tessmer), Bardolph (Walter Murray) and Nell Quickly (Dana Hooley). Adeptly, all play additional roles, most of them exceptionally well. Overton impresses as the French king, and Hooley and Schaar excel in the endearing scene in which Katharine attempts to learn English. Others in the company are Ed Hollingsworth, J. Tyler Jones, Neil McDonald, Jake Rosko, Matthew Thompson, and Rachael VanWormer.
Depending on one’s point of view, “Henry V” is a great antiwar play and its title character, a hero. The opposing view is that he was a cruel warmonger.
Baird’s emotionally involved Henry embodies the former view, especially when his Henry reads out the list of the French who died at Agincourt. Shakespeare seemingly takes no side in the matter, merely presents the circumstances, voiced by a Chorus of one (Jessica John, in a series of imaginative costumes), who invites us to see and judge for ourselves.
Justin Lang’s scenic design consists of a bare, textured playing surface enhanced by the addition of an occasional throne, battlefield sandbags and Kacia Catelli’s props. Aaron Rumley’s lighting design, Matt Lescault-Wood’s sound design, and Castelli’s costumes consistently support the production.
In the best of all worlds, the 14-person company’s diction would be on the same page. That happens rarely, however, even in the world of lavish, professionally produced Shakespeare. As related to a friend, one hardly ever sees a perfect Shakespeare company, especially when celebrities are cast in hopes of attracting an audience. Closest to perfection was the Shakespeare Globe’s gender-crossed 2003 “Twelfth Night,” starring Mark Rylance as Olivia and seen at UCLA. Such repertory companies that consistently work together have the best shot at unity.
Meanwhile, let us hope that New Fortune finds the financial support to assure future productions. Meanwhile, they intend to produce a series of readings while in residence at ion, where “Henry V” plays through Nov. 9 only. Do not miss their inaugural effort.
— Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. Her book “San Diego, Jewel of the California Coast” (Northland Publishing) is currently available in bookstores. She can be reached at [email protected].
“Henry V” by William Shakespeare
through Nov. 9
Wednesdays – Saturdays, 8 p.m.
Sundays, 3 & 7:30 p.m.
ion theatre company
3704 Sixth Ave., Hillcrest
Tickets $35, newfortunetheatre.com
