Review: Henry V at The Off Center [Theatre]

For the month of July, a nation is contained in the Off Center where Robert Faires delivers his one-man adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry V directed by Catherine Weidner. In less than two hours’ traffic on the stage, Faires simply and elegantly creates not only these great characters, kings and yeomen alike, but also the entire world in which we view them. The show is so uniformly excellent, so seamlessly integrated we hardly know where to begin describing its many virtues—so we, like the Chorus of Henry V, will beg forgiveness as we move through our praise of this production.

Let us begin with the performer, though Faires hardly needs an introduction here. The longtime Arts Editor for the Chronicle has been lending his talents to local productions for nearly thirty years. Here, they are put to prodigious use not only as performer, but also as the adapter of the text. We want to call special attention to this, because the deftness of this cutting is an overarching reason for the production’s success. There are those who like their Will absolutely unadulterated; however, after 400 years of performances, most of us are eager to see if a new take will offer some additional insight into the text, and perhaps even into ourselves.

Faires delivers on both counts. For his one-man feat, he has honed this play to a fine point, preserving the crux of many scenes with the speeches and conversations most essential to the narrative and letting "your imaginary forces work." As if providing proof for his endeavor, he (as Chorus) reminds us how much Shakespeare relies on the audience to fill in the scenes with our imaginations. From there, it is only a tiny step to believing that one man is more than adequate to play all these parts. His shifts of character are subtle, but effective: his stance, the tilt of his glasses, the flourish of a handkerchief, or a well-placed accent, yet it is his investment in each that is so compelling. Faires' Henry, a role that typically goes to a younger actor, is less warlike and more complex; this is a king who knows the gravity of his actions, his frailty, the power of both faith and regret, and who, somehow, retains the confidence and impetuousness of youth. It is a stunning turn.