Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its eighteenth season with William Shakespeare’s “Henry VIII: All is True”. This production features CSC Ensemble Members Jim Hopkins, Kelly Mengelkoch, Jolin Polasek and Barry Mulholland. “Henry VIII: All is True” is directed by Brian Isaac Phillips and opens January 13th, and runs through February 5th, 2012. Sponsors include: production sponsor Charles Parsons, production design sponsor Osborne, Rohs, Williams & Donohoe and finish the canon sponsors the Mercantile Library’s Canon Club.
With a story so explosive it literally set fire to The Globe Theatre in 1613, the Bard’s final historical tale takes audiences back to the religiously charged conflict between King Henry VIII and the English church, examined earlier in the season in “A Man for All Seasons”—but this time, through the eyes of the King. After years of marriage to his brother’s widow, Henry (Jim Hopkins) begins to suspect that his union with Katherine of Aragon (Kelly Mengelkoch) isn’t as holy as he thought. But is his doubt the only driving force behind his change of heart, or is his burgeoning love for the alluring Anne Boleyn (Jolin Polasek) also to blame? The story of lust for power and love that has fueled a pop culture obsession with such hit TV shows as Showtime’s “The Tudors” featuring these original sinners, comes to life on CSC’s stage.
“Henry VII: All is True” is a companion piece to CSC’s fall production of Robert Bolt’s “A Man for All Seasons”. The story continues as the cast of “A Man for All Seasons” returns to reprise their roles to tell the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn from Henry’s perspective and in Shakespeare’s verse. Both productions are directed by Brian Isaac Phillips, CSC’s Producing Artistic Director, who recently directed the record setting production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. He also helmed this season’s production of “Bedroom Farce” and last season’s productions of “Blithe Spirit”, “Dracula”, “The Life and Death of King John”, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (world premiere) and “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”. Mr. Phillips says “what an exciting project this is! This production is a continuation of a journey we started back in August with our extremely successful run of ‘A Man for All Seasons’. To take a historical event such as the divorce of Henry VIII and look at it from two very unique perspectives in the same season and with the same artists is a director’s dream. If ‘A Man for All Seasons’ was about how far a person will go to stand up for what they believe in, then ‘Henry VIII: All is True’ is about examining how far a person will go to get what they want. Or what they think they want.”
This will be the first time Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will produce “Henry VIII: All is True” and is part ofCSC’s “Finish the Canon” series as the company plans to complete Shakespeare’s entire canon of 37 plays by it’s 20th anniversary season. Having already produced 35 of Shakespeare’s plays, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will produce the remaining two titles, one next season and the last during the 20th anniversary season in 2014. Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips notes that “as the company has produced Shakespeare’s less familiar works, like last season’s wildly popular “The Life and Death of King John”, audiences and artists alike have discovered something wonderful in each play that expands their appreciation of Shakespeare’s artistry and skill.”
Featured in “Henry VIII: All is True” is fifth season CSC Ensemble Member Jim Hopkins reprising his role of King Henry VIII from “A Man for All Seasons.” He was most recently seen this season at CSC as Don Armado in “Love’s Labour’s Lost”, Duncan in “Macbeth” and Ernest in “Bedroom Farce”. Last season he was featured as Van Helsing in “Dracula”, Mr. Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice”, and Cardinal Pandulph in “The Life and Death of King John”, as well as numerous other roles during his five years with the company. Other past appearances include: “The School for Wives” at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey; “Romeo and Juliet” at the Human Race Theatre; “Harvey” and “Noises Off!” at the Great Plains Theatre Festival; “Omnium Gatherum”, “Bus Stop”, and “Leading Ladies” at the Nebraska Repertory Theatre; and as “Jerry Springer” in Jerry Springer the Opera for Playhouse on the Square in Memphis.
