Updated: The review now clarifies ownership of the studio space in which the play was produced.

by Christian Usera

SHAKESPEARE. A NAME that strikes fear into both the hearts of high school freshman and the teachers who grade their essays. For those who’ve never read the play and need a short brush up on the history: Henry V was of the House of Lancaster. To make a long story short, Henry V ruled England from 1413-1422, during the twilight years of the Hundred’s Year War.

Imagine if you will, a series of conflicts between England and France spurred by a complicated war of succession and mutual animosity that eventually created individual senses of nationalism. (It’s also why, as English speakers, we can’t get decent service at Parisian cafés, but I digress.)

Upon entering the performance space I was greeted by large spray painted murals of theatre masks. I have to admit that  I’m a sucker for gritty graffiti art. The atmosphere had me hooked. My enthusiasm waned when I saw the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Studio Space which the Brass Tacks Ensemble group had rented. The walls of the warehouse-like space were gray and there was a garage door that opened to the main hall.

However, the most inexplicable part of the staging was the lack of a proper stage. Brass Tacks Ensemble prides itself on being a “Pre-professional Theatre Group… that focuses on the relationship between actor, text and audience,” but no stage?

The stage separates the audience from the actors and by doing so, we’re able to suspend disbelief—to allow ourselves to be transported to the world of Henry V. The uneasy feeling that accompanied this lack of distance between performers and audience made the play feel like a rehearsal as opposed to an opening night.

Before the performance began, there was an introduction of several songs, including Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

The music stopped suddenly and the Chorus rhythmically started its hypnotic chant. The play began well, but as it progressed the actors’ inexperience caught up with them.  In addition, the modern costuming didn’t help. If this were a modernist production of Henry V, then the costumes would have been more appropriate, but the modern clothing turned out to be a distraction.

There were few props used in the production and that choice, too, left a hole that couldn’t be filled by the actors’ talents.

There were several performances that stood out, however: Dory Mead’s portrayal of Henry V was spot on. She had a regal swagger and delivered her lines with bravado. Her delivery of Henry V’s famous battle speech (“Once more unto the breach”) was especially good.

Other actors who held their own included Stebert Davenport’s work as the Dauphin. He was able to convey the Dauphin’s vitriol for both the English and Henry. Lastly, Mouse Courtois portrayed the coy Katherine very well and the scene involving her learning English via her handmaiden was funny and offered a break from the play’s dramatic tension.

On the other side of the tally sheet, there were performances that needed work, such as Joseph McDonald’s portrayal of Fluellen. His thick “Welsh” accent took away from the performance and was more clownish than dramatic.  Despite the fact that the character Fluellen was meant to appear foolish, (Shakespeare’s Welsh characters were frequently mocked for their manners, language and temperament) McDonald needed to remember this play is a drama, not a comedy.

Likewise Pistol, performed by Jeffery Miller, would have been better if he’d calmed down a bit. There was a scene during which Fluellen is essentially given the bird (a Fig or Fico) by Pistol and although it was a comical moment, it didn’t require yelling the lines. In addition, the Bishop of Canterbury, played by Sanders Hamson, was halting. Hamson forgot or flubbed many lines. Other characters played by Dennis Verner, Nicholaj Deep and Cydney Marie all seemed blasé and faded into the background.

However, one has to remember that this group is “pre-professional” and thus the cast is still perfecting its craft. They’re the Freshman Class, so to speak, of the acting world and so it’s fair to be more forgiving of sins of the stage they might have committed.

Be that as it may, more work needs to be done both in terms of production value and the performances, but I think with the right amount of effort the cast can still deliver a triumph for “…Harry, England and Saint George!”

William Shakespeare’s Henry V

Brass Tacks Ensemble

Ann Arbor Civic Center

Studio Space

Directed by Matt Miller-Batteau

May 1st- May 16th

Tickets: 15-General, 5-Students