“Henry V,” June 17 through July 3

Friday, June 17, through Sunday, July 3

Riverside Theatre Festival Stage, 200 Park Road, Iowa City IA

For the company's latest presentation of free verse theatre in Iowa City's City Park, Riverside Theatre, from June 17 through July 3, invites audiences “once more unto the breach” for one of the boldest and most exhilarating works in the classical canon: William Shakespeare's Henry V, with this glorious outdoor production boasting a tremendously gifted cast led by Riverside Theatre veteran Katy Hahn in the title role.

One of the Bard’s most boldly theatrical works, Henry V explores passion, patriotism, leadership, and destiny in a tale leading to the storied English victory over the French at Agincourt. Audiences are invited to follow Henry as he learns what it means to be a king, uniting his country and reaching the cusp of victory – though at considerable cost. A work frequently adapted for the stage, television, and even dance, three major film adaptations of Shakespeare's landmark "war play" have thus far been made. Directed by and starring Laurence Olivier, 1944's Henry V is a colorful and highly stylized version that begins in the Globe Theatre and then gradually shifts to a realistic evocation of the Battle of Agincourt. Olivier's film was made during World War II, and was designed as a patriotic rallying cry at the time of the invasion of Normandy. The material's second film version, 1989's Henry V, was directed by and stars Kenneth Branagh, and offers a more realistic evocation of the period, laying more emphasis on the horrors of war. Branagh's adaptation received Academy Award nominations for his direction and leading performance, and won the Oscar for its costume design. And in 2019, a Shakespearean amalgamation titled The King, starring Timothée Chalamet as Henry V, was adapted from three of the Bard's works: Henry IV: Part I, Henry IV: Part II, and Henry V.

Serving at the helm of Riverside Theatre's Henry V is the company's producing artistic director Adam Knight, whose previous directorial efforts of late have included Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale and the world-premiere presentation of Eden Prairie, 1971. Portraying the play's demanding title role is actor and educator Katy Hahn, whose previous credits for Riverside include Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge, and Shakespeare's Othello and Henry IV: Part 1.

Joining Hahn amongst Knight's cast are Isaac Addai; Elliott Bales; Tim Budd; Robyn Calhoun; Jack Hahn; Monté J. Howell; Matthew James; Elijah Jones; Robert Kemp; Orlando Lopez; Sonya Madrigal; Kevin Michael Moore (also the production's fight choreographer); Jessica Murillo; Aaron Stonerook; and Christina Sullivan. And with Melissa L.F. Turner serving as Henry V's stage manager, additional members of Knight's creative team include scenic designer Mariagge Coffey; costume designer Abigail Mansfield Coleman; assistant costume designer Jill Klinkerfus; lighting designer Lauren Duffie; prop master Stephen Polchert; intimacy director Carrie Pozdol; technical director Chris Rich; and assistant stage manager Olivia Leslie; and her co-COVID safety manager Kyle Schindler.

Henry V will be produced on the Riverside Theatre Festival Stage June 17 through July 3, the shows run Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, call (319)259-7099 and visit RiversideTheatre.org.