Berkshire Theatre Festival Resurrects A Man For All Seasons
Dogma Disguised as Drama is Heavenly but Not Without Sin
By: Larry Murray - Jul 27, 2008
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, Directed by Richard Corley with David Chandler (Thomas Cronwell), Tara Franklin (Margaret More). Eric Hill (Sir Thomas More), Walter Hudson (The Common Man), Greg Keller (William Roper), Peter Kybart (Cardinal Wolsey), Diane Prusha (Alice More), James Lloyd Reynolds (The Duke of Norfolk), thom Rivera (Signor Chapuys), Gareth Saxe (King Henry VIII), Tommy Schrider (Richard Rich), Andrew Belcher, (Archbishop of Canterbury), Douglas Friedman (Attendant), Allison Vanuse (The Woman), and the ensemble: Audrey Ahern, Jacyn Bethany, Cameron Spencer Comstock, Mary Caitlin Gilson, Devon Werden, Abigail Ziaja.
Stage Manager, Jason Hindelang, Scenic Designer, Joseph Varga, Costume Designer, Murell Horton, Lighting Designer, Matthew E. Adelson, Original Music and Sound DDesign, Scott Killian, Casting Director, Alan Filderman. Through August 9. Running time: About three hours.
A Man for All Seasons tells of the prolonged political and religious battle between King Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More. It is both a glorious tale and deadly serious drama, with brief flashes of levity. Those with strong religious convictions in agreement with the plot are greatly moved by it and find it exhilarating. Others may find it rough going, since it proves how religious battles tend to sow strife in the world, and the play can therefore feel moribund. Your experience of this work will largely depend on your own view, and the importance you place on these issues in today's world. The best approach is to plunge in with an open mind.
At times this play crackles with wit and intelligence. At others it is serious, stern and plodding. It is not easy to turn dusty history into compelling theatre but this Berkshire Theatre Festival production comes quite close to accomplishing exactly that.
The play, written by Robert Bolt, was hailed as a classic by the New York critics in 1962 and it won many awards. 45 years later, its age is showing, and much of it is a talky, opaque shrine to the religious issues of rewards and punishment in the afterlife for political positions taken in this one. The deeds are done but the play lingers on.
Perhaps because of its success as a film, the play remains popular among infrequent theatre-goers. It received a sustained standing ovation at the matinee I attended. A little research shows it is still a popular topic on a number of Christian websites.
In fact, I had noted a charter bus at the theatre. It helped explain the snorer in our midst who constantly kicked nearby seats and emitted an amazingly diverse selection of annoying noises. The other members of his party quickly moved to other seats while others nearby left at intermission. While not loud enough to warrant expulsion, it was enough to destroy the magic for perhaps a dozen patrons. Thank goodness such incidents are a rarity in these parts.
If anything, the incident underscores the appeal this play has to groups, and so it comes at no surprise that a Broadway revival is due this fall starring Frank Langella. This phoenix of a play will keep rising from its ashes as do the issues it discusses. King Henry VIII's battle with the Catholic Church continues, on and on, even after 500 years.
First written in 1954 as a radio play for the BBC by Robert Bolt, he then adapted it to the stage and introduced it to London audiences in 1960, and to Broadway in 1962, finally adapting it for the screen in 1966. It won six Academy Awards, and appears on a Vatican film list known as 'The Pope's Oscars," one of 45 films declared "suitable for viewing by the faithful."
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes.
Alice More, Sir Thomas's second wife, is played by Diane Prusha whose stage presence was not as convincing as the other players. What is problematic is that Sir Thomas's relationship with her seems one dimensional until the final scenes. Then, while there are some kind words to show he actually cares about her, it feels like he is just going through the motions, mouthing the platitudes without really caring about her ultimate destiny.
History is clear that his first wife Jane bore him his children and then died young, while his second wife raised them. His daughter Margaret, touchingly played by Tara Franklin, was clearly his favorite, and she in turn was both his dutiful and loving child. That the playwright left out More's other daughters and son was likely because there were only so many people they could fit on stage. Most people would have felt more empathy for Sir Thomas if he were more of a loving family man in the play.
Sir Thomas educated his daughters, a very unusual thing to do in those times, saying that women were just as intelligent as men, We see Meg's scholarship in her wonderful scene with the King during which she converses in both Latin and Greek. Indeed HRH is not at all pleased that her Latin is better than his.
The costumes by Murell Horton were brilliantly chosen and executed. They successfully conveyed both the opulence and poverty of that period. More's sackcloth contrasted nicely with his more official garments of office.
The settings were more suggested than built. The action takes place in More's House, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hall of Westminster plus various other locales: a monastery, the Thames river embankment, and the execution yard. It is an impossible for a limited production company to do proper justice to so many settings and remain solvent, so they were more suggested than actually built. The lighting of Matthew E. Adelson accomplished the impossible of filling in many visual details through theatrical magic. Too bad a scrim couldn't have been incorporated for the river and prayer scenes.
Again we saw great attention to detail from the backstage and shop crews. Extra efforts were spent on furnishing the various rooms. The carpenters in particular deserve high praise for creating an impressive medieval torture rack and the terrifying platform for the beheading that dominates the final scenes.
Someday the Berkshire Theatre Festival and its dedicated board will decide it is time to raise funds for a first class main stage. Both Barrington Stage Company and the Williamstown Theatre Festival have been able to accomplish this in recent years. For the BTF it is not only expensive but incredibly complicated. The historic old Berkshire Playhouse has preservation issues that must be taken into consideration. And limited capacity. It is a constant source of amazement that the company is able to accomplish miracle after miracle on an 80 year old stage, a testament to the genius of directors like Richard Corley who make the most of what they have to work with.
So, what is the best reason for seeing this work? As Richard Corley said in his director's notes:
For me, that is all true, even if three hours was a test of endurance in those old theater seats. When Robert Bolt rewrote it for the movies, he told the same story in two hours., and won an Oscar in the process.
It is a shame he never went back to the play and tightened it up.
Quick Link to Berkshire Theatre Festival
The late 50's and early 60's saw a number of plays on religious themes, from The Lark to Becket to Luther, perhaps as a prelude to the later 60's in which everything was questioned by the baby boomers and the counterculture. The play does indeed have a historical role and perspective, and it discusses them ad nauseam.
Personal taste aside, the Berkshire Theatre Festival's production of A Man for All Seasons is extremely well done. One can argue with the play, but there is little that the presenters can do to alter its words or ultimate course. They must remain as written.
The first hour of the play is used primarily to introduce the many characters, a very large ensemble of them. The second hour is Sir Thomas More getting into trouble with the King and his sycophants, and the final hour brings him to trial and then to his ultimate death by decapitation. There is one merciful intermission.
Thankfully, as with all BTF productions, the cast is exceptionally fine, especially Eric Hill as Sir Thomas More, who carries at least 50% of the dialog on his shoulders. His scenes in jail and on trial are heartbreaking, and helps us understand the depth of his predicament, the issues, the gravity of his situation, and the futility of asking him to betray his conscience. His relationships with Thomas Cromwell, The Duke of Norfolk and Richard Rich - played by David Chandler, James Lloyd Reynolds and Tommy Schrider - are as multilayered as his performance. Each of his compatriots is clearly drawn in the play, their treachery becoming deeper and more transparent as the story progresses.
One role was delivered with astounding intensity of the sort not often seen in the Berkshires, nor anywhere else for that matter. It is that of King Henry VIII, played by Gareth Saxe . The jolt of power that he exudes during his all too brief time on stage is simply astonishing. So what if the playwright cheated a bit on the historical aspect of his actual age. In his casting description, the author notes:
But history shows that in fact Henry was already in his forties, out of shape and well advanced in his corpulent avoirdupois. King Henry had six consorts between his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon 1509, and when he died in 1547 at age 55. His detractors started a rumor he did of syphilis, but with a 54" waist and gluttonous appetite, he likely died from what would be diagnosed today as Type II Diabetes. Back to Theatre Section Home