Henry VI: A Triology in Two Parts @ the Public Theater

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The Play: Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts, the National Asian American Theatre Company’s fully-gratifying production of Shakespeare’s rarely-done trio of plays about the British civil wars known as the War of the Roses which also serve as a prequel to the more popular Richard III

Written by: William Shakespeare        Adapted and Directed by: Stephen Brown-Fried

One good thing: There’s a lot to love here, starting with the terrifically committed performances of the cast, led by Teresa Avia Lim as a kick-butt Queen Margaret, one of the Bard’s best female roles; Julyana Soelistyo, deliciously devilish as the Duke of Gloucester who will become Richard III; and Jon Norman Schneider as the well-meaning but weak-willed king; but equally great are the kinetic staging with inventively choreographed battle scenes and even the stylish, albeit slightly wacky, costumes by threeASFOUR, the design collective whose other clients have included Yoko Ono and Lady Gaga

One not-so-great thing: The 16-members of the cast, which includes the company’s 71-year old co-founder Mia Katigbak, double and triple in roles regardless of age or gender, which can make it difficult to follow a narrative in which characters are constantly switching their alliances 

 


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