Bards of Birmingham present youth-led 'Henry V' beginning May 3
Bards of Birmingham — a local theatre company with an emphasis on youth-led casts — will explore the ideas of power, politics and societal apocalypse in its intriguing, gender-blind take on William Shakespeare's “Henry V” at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham on Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 4, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
There will be additional performances May 10 at 7 p.m., May 11 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and May 12 at 3 p.m.
“Henry V” is set in a turbulent epoch when two fledgling nations, England and France, are battling for dominance, according to Laura Heider, the executive director of Bards of Birmingham.
The actors range in age from 4 to 68, with the central characters portrayed mainly by young people ranging in age from 5 to 17.
Like most of the plays the troupe has staged since its inception in 2010, "Henry V" was cast without regard to gender.
This means that Sara Bateman, a 17-year-old high school junior, will portray Henry V as a female monarch who must exhibit tremendous strength and resolve as she rules England in the aftermath of apocalyptic change.
Heider also allowed her actors to delve deeply into the idea of apocalypse and how humans might adapt. In developing the production of “Henry V,” the cast imagined a world in which resources are scarce, society is ruled by warlords and only the strongest survive, according to Heider.
“The setting for ‘Henry V’ is meaningful because young people today are only too aware of how we sow the seeds of our own destruction,” she said. “It was not much of a stretch for our actors to see how we might have brought ourselves, as a race, to the brink of extinction.”
The production is also an opportunity to explore the motivations for political violence, according to Heider.
“We haven't just taught these kids Shakespeare, though even our youngest actor knows what their lines mean,” she said. “We've asked them to delve into social theories of violence and the way that power operates.”
Cast members have also learned stage combat — a critical skill for an actor in one of Shakespeare’s “war plays” — and the intricacies of the Bard’s 16th-century dialogue, according to Heider.
Heider also warns potential audience members that the violence in the play is portrayed realistically and that the production is not meant to be “child-friendly.”
This production is the last that Bards of Birmingham plans on staging for the indefinite future, according to Heider. Bards has staged 17 plays in its history, drawing their casts primarily from community youth aged 18 and younger.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham is located at 4300 Hampton Heights Drive.
For more information about “Henry V” or to buy tickets, go bardsofbirmingham.com.