The Arlington Players (TAP) is presenting "The Lion in Winter" from Jan. 27 to Feb. 11. The play by James Goldman transports the audience to 12th century England and France, where shifting alliances and high stakes plague the royal family. Drama and laughter combine in this production directed by Susan Devine, who directed The Arlington Players’ production of "A Chorus Line."
The 1968 film starred Katharine Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, and Anthony Hopkins and won three Academy Awards.
Director Susan Devine said the play is rich in history, comedy, and drama. "Although the play is 50 years old about a real family from the 12th century, it resonates today," she said.
She said she was trying to accomplish two goals with the telling of this play. "First, I want to portray 900-year-old historical characters as real people with all the strengths, faults, emotions and complexities of any human being. Second, I wanted to use both the dramatic and comedic layers because the people we're closest to are the ones we cry with and laugh with," she said.
As far as challenges, she added: "Casting any show is a challenge, but finding actors capable of portraying royalty from 1183 with a range of emotions was critical. Fortunately, the play draws wonderful actors and we had many talented actors to choose from. The acting is so important that our set, lighting, costumes are all designed to highlight the actors."
Michael Kharfen plays the role of King Henry II. "He was a highly effective soldier, building a then unprecedented kingdom in England and France. He was a statesman reforming laws. He was devoted to his people and his family," he said.
He added: "Henry never does anything halfway, he is all in all the time, and he loves being king. Though projecting strength, he also wears his emotions on his sleeve, which makes him such a compelling character."
He said the most exciting challenge was making the wide swings of emotions that Henry has believable and genuine. "The character goes from joking to anger to despair, sometimes in the span of only a few lines. That's how complex the role is and what makes it so thrilling and rewarding to do," he said. "The least challenge, as it turns out, was growing a beard again. I hadn't had one in more than 16 years and wasn't sure how it would look. It only took a couple of weeks and it’s certainly more gray than it was back then."
Diane Sams plays the role of Eleanor, a ruler, in her own right, of the richest land in Europe, The Aquitaine. "She was married at 15 to Louis of France, and was Queen of France until she traded up in 1153 to marry Henry of Anjou, 11 years her junior, and with him found what became known as the Angevin empire, which encompassed nearly half of what is modern day France and the Kingdom of England," she said.
She added: "In this play she is the pattern for the modern feminist mother; she is smart, chic, elegant, supremely feminine, shrewd, courageous, sly, devious, cold, warmly emotional, maternal, calculating, vulnerable, strong, inventive, humorous, playful and deadly. She is every bit a match for her husband, or any man. Women today argue about whether they can 'have it all.' Eleanor took it all, used it, lost it, and is getting it back."
She said her challenge was trying to show all the facets of a complex woman. "The playwright has provided a beautiful basis with his gorgeous words but putting humanity into what she says and does in juxtaposition to what the other characters say about her and to her is a real trick. There are terrible things said about her and yet she is loved and loving. She is also very funny. It is quite a juggling act," she said.
Patrick Pasake plays the role of Richard, the consummate soldier who is determined to assume his rightful place as heir-apparent to Henry's throne. "To Richard, there is no other choice. He is legally next in line, he is the oldest, and the strongest. He holds the most strategic lands, and Richard cannot see how his family can be so obtuse as to deny him the throne when his advantage is so abundantly clear," he said.
He added: "He works through his problems logically and methodically and feels as though he is above the emotional fray of the rest of the family. This is false, of course, for he has a lot of his repressed emotions stemming from the relationship with his mother and his relationship with Phillip. These repressed feelings tend to manifest in rage and anger either on the battlefield or directed back at his family."
He said the biggest challenge was finding the emotional core to Richard and bringing that to the forefront. "It would have been simplest to play him as a stoic, rigid, blank-faced man hell-bent on the throne, however, I think that does an injustice not only to the character but to James Goldman who wrote a much more nuanced individual."
He added: "Despite the enmity that this family shows each other, there is a central theme of love in its various forms and its ability to bring you back to your true self after all the fighting is done. Put aside the crowns, put aside the territories, put aside all notions of duty, and you see a family that cares deeply for one another despite the situations they create."
The Arlington Players is presenting "The Lion in Winter" from Jan. 27 to Feb. 11. Tickets are $25/adults; $22/senior/military; $15 child/students; group discount 10+ tickets $15/ticket. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.; and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. There is a Post-Show Discussion on Feb. 5. The venue is located at 125 S. Old Glebe Road, Arlington. Call 703-549-1063 or visit www.thearlingtonplayers.org.