Henry V
Adrian Lester on Playing Rosalind, Henry V, Othello, and Hamlet
Actor Adrian Lester walks us through big moments in his illustrious career, including Cheek by Jowl’s all-male “As You Like It” and Peter Brook’s “Hamlet.”
“Freshly remembered”: Modern spins on Shakespeare’s St. Crispin’s Day speech
Actor Bill Pullman in a 2021 ad for Budweiser As proof that Shakespeare continues to inspire, one need look no further than a beer commercial that aired this past Fourth of July. Budweiser hired actor Bill Pullman to give a…
Excerpt: 'Shakespeare and Lost Plays' by David McInnis
When it comes to the theatrical landscape of Shakespeare’s London, there are the plays whose names we are familiar with — plays like Hamlet and Henry V — and then there are the plays that were being performed around the…
The King, Prince Hal, and Falstaff: Shakespeare’s father-son triangle onstage and onscreen
Timothée Chalamet (Hal) in The King, 2019. IMDB One of Shakespeare’s most moving love triangles isn’t romantic, it’s filial. The tension between Prince Hal and his two father figures — King Henry IV and Sir John Falstaff — fuels both…
Mistress Quickly: From Hostess in 'Henry IV Part 1' to Fairy Queen in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'
The Hostess seems to have been a favorite character from the beginning, ruling the tavern where Prince Hal hangs out with Falstaff. Evidently aware of her popularity with audiences, Shakespeare developed her character further in later plays, where she evolves…
Shakespeare's patriotic empathy
Austin Tichenor writes about Shakespeare’s history plays, the political considerations of the day, and patriotic portrayals centuries later.
Laurence Olivier, Henry V, and Shakespeare on film
Laurence Olivier’s film adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” during World War II was only the third Shakespeare film ever to receive Oscar recognition.
A Photographic Facsimile from 1857
The July Crocodile Mystery showed a “detail from a printed play” and asked what’s up with the strangely uneven tone of the page. What’s up is that although the text is printed, it is not printed in ink. It is a…
Louis Butelli: "This Our Lofty Scene"
Hello again from your pal Louis Butelli, currently playing Cassius in Folger Theatre’s Julius Caesar. We’re in the home stretch: we must close on December 7. Come on down and see us! One of the fascinating things about performing in…
Louis Butelli: "Come, Cassius' Sword"
By your leave, gods:—this is a Roman’s part Come, Cassius’ sword -Julius Caesar, V.ii.100 One of the great challenges of playing Cassius in Folger Theatre’s production of Julius Caesar is (spoiler alert!) committing suicide on-stage eight times a week. Louis…
In the Studio: Recording Julius Caesar
The very talented Robert Richmond (the upcoming Julius Caesar, Richard III, Twelfth Night, Henry V, and Henry VIII) returned to Omega Studios last week along with a cast of Folger favorites to record Julius Caesar in advance of the production opening in October.…
Louis Butelli: Literary Spelunking
King Henry (Zach Appelman, top) leads his men into battle in Henry V. Photo by Scott Suchman. Hello again from your pal Louis Butelli! Last week, we closed Folger Theatre’s Henry V. It was a great run: some stellar crowds,…