Henry V (American Theatre of Actors)

See it if you would like to see a clear, fairly complete accounting of Shakespeare’s most mature history play.

Don't see it if you know Henry V so well that you expect a new production to prune the material & shape a point of view.

Also 1599, the miraculous year of “Julius Caesar,” “As You Like It” & “Hamlet” is arguably the year Shakespeare achieved his full maturity as a playwright, not the least because it also produced “Henry V,” his most mature history play. Given all the battles & diplomatic brawling, the play can feel like a hypermasculine counterweight to the female-dominated romantic comedies Shakespeare was also writing at this time—though in “Henry” we at least get a taste of that other world when the king courts Catherine. The current production from the American Theatre of Actors has the virtues of clarity & completeness, though preserving almost fully the scenes of the bragging underling soldiers (a legacy from Roman comedy) can get tedious for contemporary audiences since the jokes come wrapped in 400-year-old English. At times the unpruned scenes here can feel like presentations of a good acting class. And if you’ve been wanting to brush up on your Shakespeare, that might be just what you want.... Read more Read less

See it if you would enjoy the mishmash of current dress and old weapons in the Bard's play that juxtaposes war and diplomacy. Good energetic troop.

Don't see it if the constant coming and going, up and down in a cavernous space with voices in all directions is not the Shakespeare you expect. It's long.

See it if If you like Henry V and would enjoy a dimplistic but faithful production of this play.

Don't see it if If you want a full production when watching period pieces or if you prefer modernized Shakespere.

See it if An alright production of Henry V w/ minimal cuts/edits to the text. You know the play already. This didn’t seem made for fresh eyes.

Don't see it if HV benefits from thoughtful trimming/adapting of the draggy parts, and a more precise sense of period, class distinctions.

Also Cast seems comfortable and some audiences might like how strictly this production adheres to every line of the play, but this just didn’t compare favorably to some stellar productions of Henry V I’ve seen (or NAATCO’s recent Henry VI). Generally, it’s not as high-voltage as it could be. Has trouble managing the fluctuating comic/dramatic tone. The comic scenes that can’t overcome the somberness just seem convoluted and slow the play down. But the Dauphin’s horse was great. Upon the King and St. Crispin’s day are the natural highlights.

Show started 20 minutes late! It would help to have signs near the entrance stating which shows are playing on which floors. (No box office. Henry V is on the 2nd floor in the John Cullum theater. The spiral staircase is faster than the elevator.)... Read more Read less

See it if You like stage fighting. It gets pretty intense.

Don't see it if You have trouble understanding Shakespeare. There are moments in this where they get the message across well, but it's inconsistent.

See it if You love Shakespeare and Henry V specifically. This is the full script, no pruning to focus on the high points. Overall, well done.

Don't see it if You want a new interpretation or an edited version. This is a workman-like production - but it gets the job done.

See it if You love Shakespeare's Henry[s] and want to see V played with heart in an intimate space. The performances are worth the price.

Don't see it if You can't sit through an entire Shakespeare Henry play - this is NOT Hamlet/MacBeth, and they can't change the plot/dialogue!

See it if you like an intense and energetic performance emphasizing battle. Enjoy a large cast with a few standout performances.

Don't see it if you mind incoherent costuming and some poor enunciation making the prose difficult to understand. Some double roles.

See it if you love Henry V. It helps to know Henry IV and the other histories on earlier reigns but is enjoyable regardless. Good acting, battles.

Don't see it if You mind even slight stumbling in your Shakespeare. While fine, this production is not perfect, And it runs some 3-plus hours.

Also Give me any Shakespeare history, any day. This play, circa 1598, is a great one.

Put aside the seemingly silly logic of Henry V (aka Prince Hal) for invading France. This is was a monarchy, where male lineage to a throne created all rights. Listen to the poetry.

Delighted to have seen this, particularly with strong parts played by Laris Macario as Henry V, Joe Penczk as Exeter, Patrick Hamilton as Pistol and newcomer Emma Elle Paterson as Princess Katherine.... Read more Read less

See it if you like Shakespeare's historical plays or if you are interested in seeing the complete Henry V.

Don't see it if you prefer elaborate staging or can not appreciate an energetic though long production.

See it if You like your Shakespeare interesting in staging but respectful of and faithful to the material

Don't see it if You prefer grand productions with period details, or just don't like Shakespeare

Also A cast of excellent actors has a game go, using nothing but a bare stage, a few chairs and benches, and a handful of fardles and raiments to suggest many settings, many characters, many, many ideas.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy fantastic acting. The spare setting and costumes were perfect to showcase Shakespeare's language and the brilliant cast.

Don't see it if You prefer light entertainment.

See it if you enjoy Shakespeare and are comfortable with performance in modern dress.

Don't see it if you are not a fan of Shakespeare or only want to see a traditional staging.

Also Overall a very good performance, modern dress and minimal staging allow the dialogue to stand out. A few of the performers were hard to understand, but most did a great job.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a solid Henry V in a reasonable time... Some excellent actors and competent direction help this production greatly.

Don't see it if you're not that into Shakespeare or you have an issue seeing a grand scale production without the grand scale (very bare).

See it if You enjoy Shakespeare performed by talented if unknown actors; and can deal with minimal sets and costumes.

Don't see it if You are looking for a star-studded, glitzy production

See it if you want to hear justice done to Shakespeare's text, you are interested in the story or in classical performances.

Don't see it if you need a lot of excitement or action, you don't want to sit through a play more than three hours in length.

See it if Someone who has never seen Henry V before might find this interesting. The direction was awkward and the characterizations were wooden.

Don't see it if If you deeply love Shakespeare's plays and enjoy seeing many different interpretations of his plays, you will be disappointed.