[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of The Porters of Hellsgate’s Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2, by William Shakespeare, directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck and running through November 24.
There’s something thrilling about seeing Shakespeare performed by a company of actors with not only love for the Bard but a deep understanding of his plays. The Porters of Hellsgate have been slowly and purposefully making their way through Shakespeare’s cannon for some years now. Their latest production is actually two of his plays performed concurrently – Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2.
If you have never seen these plays performed together I highly recommend it. These days we are all used to binging on our favorite streaming fodder and you now have the opportunity to do just that but with live theatre! The Porters of Hellsgate are scholarly in their approach to Shakespeare, but not in a dusty elitist way. They just seem to know intensely every line, every turn of phrase, every pivot and foible and farce. It feels as if they dream in Shakespeare they know him so well and that knowledge makes it all come alive with such intensity and effortless magic that you find yourself hanging on every single word, not looking away, holding your breath for fear of missing a second. It lifts the veil somehow, this ardor, this realism, this knowing. Passages that might be skimmed a little, just to get to the good bits, are instead lovingly illuminated and made real. They are a wonder, this disparate group of talented and achingly fine actors.
Helmed this time by Boston Court’s Associate Artistic Director Margaret Shigeko Starbuck, the story of King Henry and his wayward son is tender as well as timely. Politics, it seems, is ageless. The manoeuvrings and betrayals. The folly of fate and the madness of fear. Courage, lost moments before it is most needed and the fluidity and fickle nature of those who rule. It’s all here in these beautiful lines of prose. The answers, the questions and the relentless beat of human nature unto its timely end.
The performances are extraordinary. Honestly, I would have expected nothing less. But even so…wow. These three lead roles, Henry IV, his son Harry and Falstaff, are written with such nuance and grace, even as they rage against each other, loving and resenting and leaving. As if they are all pieces of the same soul. And for Harry, it truly feels as though they are. Letting go of his father as he leaves behind childish things he must too let go of Falstaff. It’s such a poignant and unforgettable moment between them and on this stage, perfectly devastating.
The entire cast, everyone, is so marvelous and completely themselves in every role. That level of absorption is intimate and profoundly moving. It’s why the words feel fresh 600 hundred years after they were written. Seeing them performed with reverence understanding and love makes them new and reminds us why this man six centuries ago is still the best we’ve ever known.
They close this weekend and you must try and see them. With this crispy cold weather and these dark times, Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 are calling you…best head them while you can.
Tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/henry-iv-parts-1-2-tickets-1007942833147
When:
Part 2 11/15: 8 PM
Parts 1 and 2 *11/16: 2 PM Part 1, 8 PM Part 2
Part 1 11/17: 2 PM
Part 2 11/19: 7 PM
Part 1 11/22: 8 PM
Parts 1 and 2 11/23: 2 PM Part 1, 8 PM Part 2
Parts 1 and 2 closing 11/24: 2 PM Part 1, 8 PM Part 2
Where:
Madnani Theatre
6760 Lexington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
The Cast
Thomas Bigley as Sir John Falstaff
*Will Block as Hal
Dawn Alden as King Henry IV
Blanca Isabella as Hotspur, Falstaff’s Page, Mouldy, and Coleville
Jono Eiland as Poins, the Douglas, Hastings, and Bullcalf
*Dennis Gersten as Worcester, Lord Chief Justice, Silence
Howard Leder as Northumberland, Glendower, Shallow, Fang
Sara Gorsky as Mortimer, Sir Walter Blunt, Archbishop of York, and Davy
Renée Torchio Macdonald as Lady Percy, Prince John, and Doll Tearsheet
Hadiyyah Smith as Westmoreland, Peto, Lord Randolph, and Beadle
Erik Dylan Matibag as Bardolph and Mowbray
Kate Faye as Mistress Quickly, Traveler, and Lady Mortimer
Jacob Athyal as Vernon, Warwick, Snare, and Pistol
The Team
Costume Designer Meg Hartung
Lighting Designer Justin Kelley-Cahill
Projection Designer Brian Carroll
Sound Designer Nick Neidorf
Assistant Director/Dramaturg Jasmine Vigil
Stage Manager Yaesol Jeong
Produced by L. Stephanie Tait