Henry IV, Part One

King Henry’s heir, Prince Hal, would rather spend his days carousing with his drinking buddy Sir John Falstaff than preparing to assume the mantle of leadership. Meanwhile, a disagreement between the King and the famed soldier Hotspur threatens to boil over into civil war. This is a coming-of-age story of a rebellious young man caught in a classic father/son conflict, the difference being that this particular young man must one day be King of England. 

During the play we see Hal grow from a dissolute and idle youth to a leader capable of defeating Hotspur and assuming the role his country expects of him. Scenes of politics and battle alternate with comic depictions of Prince Hal’s forays into petty theft and debauchery with his companions at the Boar’s Head Tavern.

The Thomas Theatre is outfitted with an elevator to the theatre level.

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El Príncipe Hal marca el tiempo. Su padre, Henry IV, quiere enseñarle la cruel arte de gobernar el reino, pero Hal prefiere estudiar el fondo de un jarro de cerveza en una taberna de mala muerte, rodeado de sus compañeros parranderos. El jefe carismático de la pandilla, Falstaff – más enorme que la vida, libertino y alérgico a toda autoridad – le ha servido de maestro mucho más que su propio padre. Entonces, cuando un joven rival amenaza al reino, ya le toca a Hal presentarse y asumirse los problemas familiares. Pero, ¿cómo puede un hijo temerario, imprudente, llegar a ser un verdadero príncipe?

Idoneidad Durante la obra vemos que Hal se desarrolla desde joven disoluto y holgazán hasta jefe capaz de derrotar a Hotspur y de asumirse el papel que su país se espera de él. Escenas de política y batalla se alternan con representaciones cómicas de las incursiones de Hal en el hurto y el libertinaje con sus compañeros de la taberna Boar’s Head.

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.