For the spring mainstage this year, Redeemer鈥檚 theatre arts department decided to put a slightly modernized twist on Shakespeare鈥檚 classic history play, Henry V.聽 Unfortunately, the reality of COVID-19 meant that the cast and crew鈥檚 time, creativity and intended impact were brought to a halt only weeks away from opening night.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a weird thing, and surreal in a way,鈥 says director Aaron Joel Craig. 鈥淭he best way I can describe it is 鈥榟ollow.鈥欌
鈥淚 know I cried a lot, so did everybody,鈥 says Heather Janssens, who was set to play Henry. 鈥淏ut, I think out of that so much good has come. As a cast, we really just leaned into each other and became each other鈥檚 emotional support. Before social distancing was enforced, we all got together in the black box to sit, eat donuts and laugh and cry together. We became this community that was there for each other when we were at our most vulnerable. Because of that, I think we鈥檝e become stronger not only as theatre-makers but as individuals and Christians who were able to encourage each other in a time of darkness.鈥澛
“I think we鈥檝e become stronger not only as theatre-makers but as individuals and Christians who were able to encourage each other in a time of darkness.鈥澛
This simultaneous sense of grief, strength and encouragement is not too far from themes presented in the play itself. When the topic of Shakespeare comes up, many have flashbacks to fighting sleep during high school English classes. However, amid the tongue-twisters of iambic pentameter are stories of conflict, courage and self-actualization. Henry V is also聽a coming-of-age tale of sorts, as Henry himself was only 26 when he was crowned King of England and carried out the infamous Battle of Agincourt. According to Craig, this is why it remains a crucial narrative for young adults in the 21st century.
听“Henry is a play about a young person who鈥檚 given a set of expectations and circumstances he didn鈥檛 choose, which I think is very applicable for young people today. Whether that鈥檚 the coronavirus, a changing economy or even climate change, it鈥檚 not about how you defeat these things but about how you do things your own way.鈥
As a Redeemer theatre alumnus, Craig appeared in numerous productions throughout his undergraduate degree including an adaptation of A Midsummer Night鈥檚 Dream, another Shakespearean masterpiece. In 2014, he founded , where he focuses on productions that, in his own words, 鈥渃hallenge the mind and confront the heart.鈥 Craig鈥檚 mission is to engage audiences with authentic stories that confront the status quo and speak to present issues in ways that honour a Christian worldview. He emphasizes how necessary it is for Christians to wrestle with topics such as power, patriotism and gender.
“Henry is a play about a young person who鈥檚 given a set of expectations and circumstances he didn鈥檛 choose, which I think is very applicable for young people today.”
鈥淎s Christians, we need to engage with all kinds of things. Henry speaks a lot about God being on the side of the English, but is that really a demonstration of faith or of power? Shakespeare鈥檚 work also had a 鈥榮acred text鈥 mentality in his day, and I think that can translate into taking the things we consider sacred and looking at them in a different way.鈥
One distinct aspect of Craig鈥檚 approach was with the show鈥檚 casting methods. Because more women than men auditioned, each role was filled based on compatibility rather than gender. He took notice of Janssens and cast her in the titular role soon after.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been a bit of a tomboy, so the way I played Henry was just an extension of myself,鈥 says Janssens. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 act like a man, and Henry wasn鈥檛 made to seem like a woman. It was just me speaking in iambic pentameter. I wore my own clothes, I did my hair as I normally would, and it really just felt like me.鈥
Janssens admits that she did experience anxiety about how the portrayal would be received. Ultimately though, she realized the only way to move forward was by giving the best performance possible.聽
鈥淚 thought, ‘If I put my heart into this, if I make it authentic, then people should respond to it well.’鈥澛
Like Craig, she believes the show holds immense value for modern audiences.
鈥淛ust through playing the role of Henry, I found so much connection with the ideas of fighting for what you believe in with integrity, learning to live with honour and what it means to be a good leader. All those things are still relevant in our conversations today. Especially as Christians, knowing how to live an honourable life is a really important thing. Even just the way the show was constructed, with me as a woman playing a figure of authority, is an empowering statement for audiences today.鈥
Even for those working behind the scenes, the play revealed timely, poignant messages. Dr. Sharon Klassen, associate professor of theatre and the producer of Henry V, was struck by how Shakespeare鈥檚 writing led her to consider elements of current social and political rhetoric.
鈥淗enry absolutely believes God has appointed him and that he will win [the war] because God is on his side, and I don鈥檛 think that rhetoric has disappeared,鈥 she says. 鈥淎s Christians, we need to question why God is declared to be with one nation and not the other. Especially now, as we鈥檙e still dealing with the aftermath of colonialism, this play is really foregrounding. While the audience of the day would’ve been completely on board with the things he says, I was taken aback.”
JoyAnna Bodini, the show鈥檚 stage manager, found that Henry鈥檚 ascension to power at such a young age reflects the rise of millennials and generation Z beginning their careers as previous generations retire.聽
鈥淗enry is a younger character with all this responsibility thrust upon him. At a time in our lives when older generations are retiring, it鈥檚 really important to think about how younger generations take on that responsibility and make sure they鈥檙e prepared for the workforce.鈥
With all this introspection, study and rehearsal stopped just short of reaching audiences, it鈥檚 easy to think of the preceding months of preparation as fruitless. Craig stressed to the cast and crew that the point of theatre isn鈥檛 so much the final product as the experiences shared, lessons learned, creativity fostered and communities built. He echoes notable Henry V character Fluellen, a Welsh captain who declares that there are always 鈥渙ccasions and causes why and wherefore in all things.鈥澛
鈥淚n all productions, the true value is in the work. Our focus has gone from being product-creators to experience-havers, and I鈥檓聽 excited to see what kind of performances will be inspired by a time in history like this.”聽