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Review: OSF's 'Henry IV' not your everyday doublet Shirking his duties as heir to the British throne, Prince Hal (Daniel Jose Molina) drunkenly carouses with an employee (Nemuna Ceesay) of the Boar's Head Tavern in "Henry IV Part One" at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. [OSF photo by Jenny Graham] Wednesday Mar 1, 2017 at 3:50 PM Mar 1, 2017 at 3:50 PM By Maureen Flanagan Battistella for the Mail Tribune Director Lileana Blain-Cruz’s interpretation of "Henry IV, Part One," which opened Saturday in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's Thomas Theatre, is outstanding — accessible, timely and entertaining. It’s a play of politics: King Henry struggles to stabilize his country, his foes united and determined to carve England up between them. It’s a play of succession: The old king frets that his son cares nothing for the kingdom, foreseeing only chaos in the future. It’s a coming-of-age play: A young man recognizes that it’s time to shoulder the responsibilities of his heritage. The performance pops with gunfire, strobes and pole-dancing, boar-faced harlots in pink wigs. It is theater as we’ve come to expect from OSF — exciting, satisfying, and not your everyday doublet. Daniel Jose Molina, in his third season at OSF, is exuberant and joyous as Prince Henry, reveling in all that his privileged position and wealth bring. The club scenes are absurdly funny — just imagine Molina in a pool with wenches and soap bubbles. Soon, though, the arc of the play claims Hal’s youth, Prince Henry accepts the mantle of his position, and his inherent nobility becomes clear. He’s not a little motivated by King Henry’s regard for Harry Percy played by Alejandra Escalante. The casting’s gender switch here is nicely contemporary and establishes this female but not feminine Hotspur as a fearful military force. G. Valmont Thomas has Falstaff down. Absolutely. A 13-year OSF veteran, Thomas played Falstaff in OSF’s 2006 "Merry Wives of Windsor," though I don’t recall that he was as fat (the jokes abound), as drunk, or as irreverent as he is in 2017. Falstaff’s is, of course, a comedic role, with frequent double entendres and physical puns, the audience gladly evident in smirks and snorts. Thomas’ delivery is timed perfectly, and how in the world does he do that eye roll thing, punctuating his most famous lines? Falstaff guides Prince Henry, usually astray and always with dishonor. OSF first performed "Henry IV, Part One" in the Allen Elizabethan Theatre in 1950 and it’s been in the Elizabethan ever since, that is until 2017. In the Thomas, seating is close enough to the action that you have to move your feet under your seat and keep your coat out of the aisle. The audience is a participant in the performance, willing or not. Adam Rigg's set design is minimal, and the performance is tightly organized around the central space so the audience is drawn into the drama. Even offstage is onstage, the action onstage seamlessly extending out of sight, but still within hearing. The Thomas Theatre works well for this "Henry" in ways you might not expect and transforms what could be a dry historical piece, were it not for Falstaff’s antics, into a play rich with emotion and performances that are intimate and personal. The audience is as involved in the drama as the actors, focused on the exchange, absorbed in the passions so clearly portrayed. Take the opening sequence for example, when King Henry advances to the red velvet throne, positioned under a massive mosaic of himself in halo. Jeffrey King is noble and tormented in the role, riveting as he takes up the crown, and so close that one wants to turn away from his pain and isolation. "Henry IV, Part One" continues through Oct. 28. For the first time in OSF history, "Henry IV, Part Two" will be performed in the same year, running July 4 through Oct. 27 so the two historicals can be seen as a continuum. In "Part Two," Prince Henry assumes the crown and leads his people in tumultuous times. "Part Two" is directed Carl Cofield, is cast with the same actors, and has the same scenic designer and costumer. "Henry IV, Part One" runs two hours and 40 minutes, with one intermission. There’s loud gunplay, fog and violence, so while not appropriate for a child, middle school youth would find the play both entertaining and meaningful. For an in-depth introduction, take time out for an OSF noon preface on March 11, April 1, April 29 or May 13. For more information, including a video interview with director Blain-Cruz, visit www.osfashland.org. — Maureen Flanagan Battistella is a freelance writer in Ashland and can be reached at [email protected].