Staged Reading of THE LION IN WINTER

 

Sandy, Matt, Chip, Chris, Heather, Bradley, and Diego on the throne

Last night was our one time only performance of THE LION IN WINTER. With few rehearsals, but an incredible cast, the audience was drawn in to the humor, intelligence, challenge, and emotional release provided by this well-constructed play.

Michigan Theatre of Jackson

We had seventy-six paying guests and made back our expenses by sharing the gate with the Michigan Theatre of Jackson. Our experiment was more successful that we dared hope.

Thanks to Sandy Sykes, who first approached me about this project saying she had always wanted to play Eleanor, then suggested other cast members that we both approved. Sandy found all the humanity in a complicated woman.

And thanks to Diego Febres-Cordero, who should play this role with Sandy in a fully staged production sometime in his life.

Matt Davis, Chip Mezo, and Chris Mezo understood and played their roles with just the right amount of intensity moving the story along with humor and intensity. The audience was fascinated by the family games of who will win the throne.

Heather Yevseyev, the character with the most to lose, was a perfect pawn. She loves Henry but was raised and loved by Eleanor. Her position is fragile and difficult and we watch her begin to make an attempt to assert herself.

Bradley Jayne as the young French King proved he too could play the game. And win.

It's easy to see why all these actors fell in love with THE LION IN WINTER.

Rehearsals for THE LION IN WINTER

Sandy, Matt, Diego, Chris, Heather and Chip (Photo: A. Holt)

Diego and Heather (Photo: A. Holt)

We had our first blocking rehearsal today at the Michigan Theatre.

The Lion in Winter (James Goldman) - A Reading

Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

One Performance Only!

Friday, January 27, 2011

Michigan Theatre, Downtown Jackson

Jackson, MI – January 2, 2012

Script in Hand Productions is pleased to present a reading of James Goldman’s classic play, The Lion in Winter,” Friday, January 27, 2011 at 8:00 p.m., at The Michigan Theatre, 124 N. Mechanic Street, Jackson, MI.  Admission is $5.00.

Director and Producer of this reading is Ann Holt   Performers are Diego Febres-Cordero as Henry, Sandy Sykes as Eleanor, Matt Davis as Richard, Chip Mezo as Geoffrey, Christopher Mezo as John, Heather Yevseyev as Alais and Bradley Jayne as Philip.

The Lion in Winter concerns the interpersonal dynamics and political wrangling of King Henry II, his wife Eleanor, whom he has kept imprisoned in a tower for the past ten years, and their three sons, Richard, Geoffrey and John, all vying to be named heir to the English throne.  Eleanor, who has been let out to celebrate Christmas with her family, favors Richard as heir, while Henry favors John.  To complicate matters, the young King Philip II of France has arrived to remind Henry of a treaty he signed years earlier, promising to marry his heir to Philip’s sister Alais.  However, Alais has been Henry’s mistress for the past seven years, and Henry is hesitant to marry her off to any of his sons.

The Lion in Winter deals with timeless issues - a dysfunctional family, political maneuvering, war and peace - as well as aging, death, inheritance, and posterity.  As the principle characters plot, scheme, conspire, and counter-plot between each other, the deep-seated emotional ties between them get played out in the political arena, such that sibling rivalry and marital jealousy translate into civil war, treason, and perhaps even murder among the members of a royal nuclear family.

The play is packed with humor, mind games, and clever plot twists.  Some content of The Lion in Winter may not be appropriate for children due to mature themes.