Get ready to party like it’s 1599!
Shakespeare wrote four plays in that productive year — and the Irondale Ensemble Project will stage them all during its two-year “1599 Project,” starting with “Henry V” on Nov. 22.
The other plays — “Julius Caesar,” “As You Like It,” and “Hamlet” — are all good, of course, but “Henry V” is especially timely, even 400 years later.
“ ‘Henry V’ focuses on the effects of war on warriors and leaders,” explained Irondale Executive Director Terry Greiss, who will also act in the show. “We are living in a very politically fervent time, and there are many analogies to be made with these productions.”
“Henry V” tells the story of the English king, and his experiences before and after the Battle of Agincourt.
In Irondale’s re-imagining of the classic, the actors switch from one character to another before the audience’s eyes. And instead of a stage, the production will unfold on a carpet, and the audience will be seated around it, creating an intimate connection between performer and observer.
“You’re watching that actors think on stage, and you’re close enough to see their thoughts,” Greiss said. “It becomes much more audience-friendly production because you’re so close to the action — it’s what theater is about. It’s very magical.”
“Henry V” at Irondale Ensemble Project [85 S. Oxford St. between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place in Fort Greene, (718) 488-9233]. Nov. 22-Dec. 10 (no show on Thanksgiving). $35 ($10 for Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 shows). For info, visit www.irondale.org.
Reach Arts Editor Juliet Linderman at jlinderman@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-8309.
