 | Lucas Howland (foreground) as King John with (from left to right) Mozhan Navabi as Eleanor, Brian McManamon as Bigot and David Matranga as Salisbury, in a rehearsal for the School of Drama's "The Life and Death of King John." |
The age-old question "What is it that makes one man a king and another his subject?" is at the heart of the first play in the School of Drama's 2004-2005 season.
William Shakespeare's "The Life and Death of King John" will be presented Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 26-30 at the New Theater, 1156 Chapel St. It will be directed by drama school student Stephen Fried.
In the play, which is based on historical events, England and France converge in battle, peasants fight with kings, widows cry for war, and a child is taken hostage as King John, son to Eleanor of Aquitaine and brother to Richard the Lionhearted, navigates through religious, political and familial loyalties in a desperate effort to hold onto the throne. In addition to mixing passion, blood and politics, the play features some of Shakespeare's most lyrical poetry.
Fried, a third-year director at the School of Drama, is presenting "The Life and Death of King John" as his thesis production. At the drama school, he has directed "The Merchant of Venice," "Empty Sky" and "Love-All," and participated in "The Odyssey." At the Yale Cabaret, his credits include "Funeral Games" and "Stagestruck in America." A 2004 recipient of the Drama League Summer Directing Fellowship, Fried recently directed "Cinderella," "...,' said Said" and "The Overcoat" at The Hangar Theatre. His other directing credits include "27 Wagons Full of Cotton," "Woyzeck" and "Habeas Corpus: Meyerhold, the final chapter," an original piece documenting the final years of Vsevolod Meyerhold, which toured to Moscow's Teatr.doc in 2002. Fried has worked at the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Arena Stage, and with the Ensemble Company for the Performing Arts, and has trained at the Center for Theatre Practices in Gardzienice, Poland. He is a Jacob Javits Scholar and the 2004 recipient of the drama school's John Badham Scholarship.
"The Life and Death of King John" features scenic design by Aleksandra Maslik, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Gina Scherr and sound design by Amber Papini. Kate McConnell is the dramaturg and Glenn Sturgis is the stage manager.
The cast includes David Bardeen (Pembroke), Jeff Barry (Lewis), Amanda Cobb (Lady Faulconbridge/Blanche), Dan Colman (Robert Faulconbridge/Melun), Alex Grennan (English lord/English herald/executioner 2), Dale Ho (James Gurney/French herald/executioner 1), Lucas Howland (King John), Jordan Mahome (King Philip) David Matranga (Salisbury), Brian McManamon (Bigot), Stephen Moore (Hubert), Mozhan Navabi (Eleanor), Christianna Nelson (Constance), Alex Organ (Austria), Ryan Quinn (French soldier/Prince Henry), Adam Saunders (Cardinal Pandulph), Jedadiah Schultz (Arthur/fight captain), Joe Tapper (Chatillion/ Peter of Pomfret) and Jeffrey Withers (Philip the Bastard).
Performances for "The Life and Death of King John" are at 8 p.m. nightly, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $15 to $18; for students, $12 to $14.50. Discounted rates for seniors and groups are also available. Subscription packages are also available for the entire School of Drama season, which will also include "Hedda Gabler" by Henrik Ibsen (March 26-April 2) and "The Real Thing" by Tom Stoppard (May 3-7). Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased by calling (203) 432-1234, or visiting at the Yale Repertory Theatre box office, corner of Chapel and York streets.
T H I S
School of Drama to stage
historical Shakespearean play
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