by: Sandi Durell
Why present Henry VIII and Shakespeare as it’s meant to be. We’re a new, contemporary society and want to see something re-imagined, new and different. Don’t we? Generally, I’d say yes. Especially way downtown, the home of avant garde.
Billed as a “State-of-the-Art Seductive and Revolutionary Recounting of Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn’s Debacle of a Relationship ” it is amusing to find a group of young actors in contemporary dress (Aaron P. Mastin, costume designer) who add some throwback16th Century costume overlays for authenticity. Or to find a stark lime green set of furniture as the palace interior (Deb O, set & prop designer). After all, the creative process should have no limits to the imagination. And so when Rob Santana wrote this as a first offering for Starcatcher Productions, he surely used a lot of imagination: hip-hop style dancing, a multi-racial cast, some outlandish dialogue and created a production 2 1/2 hours long.
The King’s Whore is humorous and presents silly fun but the totality just doesn’t cut the mustard. The performances are uneven and that has to do with the casting. A more sensual, sexually driven Anne Boleyn (Kate O’Phalen) is surely called for.
I do have to give a shout-out to the highlight performances and those include Claire Brownell as Marguerite/Jane Seymour/Lady Kingston, to Slate Holmgren as Wolsey/Henry Percy/Cromwell and Laura Esposito as Catherine of Aragon.
Director Jen Wineman had lots of conflicts in attempting to bring this cast to some kind of unity.
Back to the drawing boards!
Photo: Nathaniel Johnston
The King’s Whore at Walker Space Theater, (Tribeca) 46 Walker St, NYC Thru Aug. 11th. Reservations http://thekingswhore.bpt.me
