When I was invited to direct Henry IV,
Part One at OSF this season, I have
to admit I was a little intimidated. A history
play! History plays are huge! What
does it mean to do this play today, right
here, right now?
That initial intimidation—mixed with
excitement and curiosity—has led to an
incredible rediscovery of the enormous
humanity inside these plays and some of
the most amazing characters of all time:
Falstaff, Prince Hal, King Henry, Hotspur.
They are hilarious, vibrant, tragic and passionate
characters colliding in a world in
the midst of change.
This change is marked by the ascendance
of Bolingbroke (King Henry IV), whom we
saw come to power in Richard II and now
watch in the middle of his troubled reign
in Part One. Troubled, because we are in
a fractured world, with families fighting
against families, where loyalty and trust
in political leaders is constantly under
question and constantly under attack.
It is thrilling to feel the play’s resonances
now during these disjointed
times; its complicated politics still
feel so present. In this production, we
embrace those reverberations. We are
in a version of a modern-day America,
caught questioning the nature of
power: Who has it? What are its repercussions?
What does it mean to become
a leader in a world that feels like it is on
the brink of falling apart?
I’m particularly excited to be exploring
this enormous play with such a diverse
ensemble of actors in the intimate
space of the Thomas Theatre, where,
as an audience member you will be
able to feel Falstaff’s joyously chaotic
debauchery collide with the explosive
fire of Hotspur’s search for justice. And
not only that, but where the history
of Richard II still haunts the space and
where the future of Henry IV, Part Two is
yet to come.
—Lileana Blain-Cruz