As a prelude to the summer 2022 production of RICHARD III in Central Park, Kentucky Shakespeare has added a new production to their indoor season with HENRY VI: THE WARS OF THE ROSES, adapted from Shakespeare by Stephanie Shine. The addition to the indoor ticketed season will run for a limited three-week run inside the Kentucky Shakespeare Headquarters in historic Old Louisville.
The streamlined, abridged, eight-actor production spans all three of Shakespeare’s HENRY VI plays, setting the scene for the final chapter and giving audiences a first glimpse of the rise of the ambitious and manipulative Duke of Gloucester – soon to become King Richard III. After the legacy left by the great Henry V crumbles under his ineffectual son, the bloody struggle between the House of York and the House of Lancaster spirals from political unrest to all-out civil war.
“It’s been a thrilling artistic journey to spend these last five years exploring Shakespeare’s history plays chronologically. This production is the first time Kentucky Shakespeare has produced HENRY VI and will set up the climax this summer with RICHARD III as we finally complete the history play cycle. And we’re delighted to reveal that Neill Robertson returns to the stage to play the iconic villain Gloucester, later Richard III, in both productions,” said Amy Attaway, Associate Artistic Director, also director of the production.
The production features an eight-actor ensemble comprised of Jon Huffman, David Hussey, Abigail Bailey Maupin, Gregory Maupin, Mollie Murk, BeeBee Patillo, Shaquille Towns, and Neill Robertson as Gloucester, who becomes Richard III. Robertson will continue on as the titular villain RICHARD III in the 2022 summer season of free Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Central Park.
Jesse AlFord is Lighting Designer, Eric Allgeier is Scenic Designer, Donna Lawrence-Downs is Costume Designer, and Laura Ellis is the Sound Designer, with fight choreography by Eric Frantz and dramaturgy by Gregory Maupin.
Event Details:
HENRY VI: THE WARS OF THE ROSES
March 30-April 16, 2022
7:30PM evening performances; 2:00PM matinees
Preview performance March 30; Press opening March 31; Running Wednesday through Saturday evenings with Saturday and Sunday matinees (No matinee on April 2 and added evening performance on April 3.)
Tickets: $20, plus $2.86 processing fee
Following the example of many other performance venues nationwide, Kentucky Shakespeare will require audience members to wear a mask and provide proof of vaccination or a negative PCR COVID test taken within 72 hours of the performance time.
Kentucky Shakespeare Headquarters, 616 Myrtle Street, Louisville, KY 40208
Visit kyshakespeare.com for tickets and information.
During the ticket checkout process, audience members will be asked if they’d like to make a donation to Kentucky Shakespeare at that time. Donors $20 and above will receive a limited-edition HENRY VI: THE WARS OF THE ROSES T-shirt upon arrival at the performance, with one t-shirt per each $20 donation.
CREATIVE TEAM/CREW
Directed by Amy Attaway
Lighting Designer: Jesse AlFord
Scenic Designer: Eric Allgeier
Costume Designer: Donna Lawrence-Downs
Sound Designer: Laura Ellis
Fight Choreographer: Eric Frantz
Stage Manager: Clare Hagan
Sound Engineer: Victoria Campbell
Lighting Operator: Lindsay Krupski
CAST
Duke of Exeter/Edward of York/Clifford: Jon Huffman
Duke of York/Prince Edward: David Hussey
Queen Margaret/Sir Lucy: Abigail Bailey Maupin
Suffolk/Buckingham/King of France: Gregory Maupin
Joan of Arc/Warwick/Dick the Butcher: Mollie Murk
Somerset/Young Clifford: BeeBee Patillo
Richard of York/Jack Cade/Reignier: Neill Robertson
Henry VI/Alason: Shaquille Towns
Produced through arrangement with Stephanie Shine, General Manager/Education Director at Tennessee Shakespeare Co.