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'Henry V' trapped in a classroom

The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater may well be the friendliest stage group in town, in the way audiences are greeted and gently indoctrinated into classical theater. As much as that friendliness is appreciated, its production of Henry V walks a line between reinterpretation and trivialization in an updated version that takes place in a modern classroom where a handful of kids reenact the play. It's a 40/60 situation, the larger proportion being the less desirable.

The cast of "Henry V" includes (from left) Johnny Smith, Jenna Kuerzi, Ama Bollinger, and Richard Chan. Director Aaron Cromie was interested in the coming-of-age aspect of the play, but the students in this production don't seem to grow at all. (JOHN BANSEMER / Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre)
The cast of "Henry V" includes (from left) Johnny Smith, Jenna Kuerzi, Ama Bollinger, and Richard Chan. Director Aaron Cromie was interested in the coming-of-age aspect of the play, but the students in this production don't seem to grow at all. (JOHN BANSEMER / Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre)Read more

The Philadelphia Shakespeare Theater may well be the friendliest stage group in town, in the way audiences are greeted and gently indoctrinated into classical theater. As much as that friendliness is appreciated, its production of Henry V walks a line between reinterpretation and trivialization in an updated version that takes place in a modern classroom where a handful of kids reenact the play. It's a 40/60 situation, the larger proportion being the less desirable.

Such ideas are often used as framing devices that disappear once the plot kicks in and the actors start playing the characters for real. But the longer Friday's opening went on, the more you realized you were stuck with the staging concept for the duration. Worse yet, so was the play.

What started as sort of a latter-day Shakespeare's R&J (a popular rethinking of Romeo and Juliet performed by prep-school kids) became more like The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged), a down-market comic send-up of all things Shakespearean. This approach might be defensible in one of the comedies. But Henry V? The play about England's 1415 Battle of Agincourt, its victory against huge odds, is a meditation on the nature of war that's certainly relevant now. But will anybody get that when battle scenes are fought with paper airplanes and troops wear band uniforms?

Director Aaron Cromie was interested in the coming-of-age aspect of the play, and was inspired by a teacher who had a gift for making students excited about Shakespeare. So the teacher in this classroom (played with admirably consistent energy by Sam Sherburn) was the play's "chorus."

However, while the play picks up when Henry has made the psychological transition from party boy to monarch (Falstaff is left behind to die), the students in this production's play didn't seem to grow at all. There was much figurative winking about the production's cleverness in finding a modern parallel to the 15th-century setting. By constantly standing outside the play, it didn't let the audience in.

The actors displayed respectable Shakespearean chops. As Henry, Akeem Davis had no problem handling the language and, in introspective moments, generating needed pathos. Most of the others played multiple parts, my favorites being statuesque Ama Bollinger as Princess Katherine and ebullient Ife Foy in numerous ensemble roles.

THEATER REVIEW

Henry V

Through Nov. 16 at Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, 2111 Sansom St.

Tickets: $20-$35.

215-496-8001 or phillyshakespeare.org.EndText