OPENING: Henry V, with an all female cast at City Lit Theater Via Babes With Blades

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Babes With Blades Theatre Company presents 

Henry V, with an all female cast, 

opening February 27, 2017

BWBTC’s ’16-‘17 season, WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINES, wraps up with William Shakespeare’s story of war and redemption.

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.”

Babes With Blades Theatre Company is back with their newest biennial all-female Shakespeare production, Henry V, to be performed at City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., in Chicago. Previews will be Saturday, February 18 at 8PM, Sunday, February 19 at 3PM, Friday, February 24 at 8PM, Saturday, February 25 at 8PM, and Sunday, February 26 at 3PM. The press opening is Monday, February 27 at 8PM, and the show will run Thursdays-Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 3 through Saturday, April 1.

Henry V is directed by Hayley Rice with Violence Design by Kim Fukawa*. The cast features Diana Coates, Catherine Dvorak*, Delia Ford*, Kim Fukawa*, Samantha Kaufman, Gaby Labotka, Morgan Manasa*, Jennifer L. Mickelson*, Chelsea Rolfes, Alexis Randolph, Alison Vodnoy Wolf, and understudy Rachel Mock.

The design and production team of Henry V  includes Elyse Balogh (Scenic Design), Lara Caprini (Stage Manager), Carrie Hardin (Dialect Coach), Scott Leaton (Props Design), Matthew Reich (Sound Design), Dustin Spence (Production Manager), Rachel Sypniewski (Costume Design), and Andrea Trygstad (Lighting Design).

*denotes BWBTC ensemble member

About the Play

Ascending the throne of England after the death of his father, young Henry V faces suspicion from within his country and pressure from without. Hoping to unite his kingdom and ensure its future security, he embarks on a risky campaign to conquer France. As a newly-anointed king with a lot to atone for, the odds are against him… but will his people rally around him?

 “The action of Henry V takes place during the Hundred Years' War between France and England,” says director Hayley Rice. “While the time span is not as long, the United States has been engaged in conflicts in the Middle East for over 15 years, embroiled in the region's unrest for decades beyond that, and one cannot help but feel that nothing will be resolved in the near future. The undeniable parallel - the sense of slogging through a battle that's both predestined and never-ending - makes this play both timely and accessible.”  

Tickets:

$25 general admission ($20 with online reservation before Feb 18)

$15 students and seniors

$10 previews

Available at babeswithblades.org or 773-904-0391.

About the Director

Hayley Rice is a Chicago-area director whose work has been seen at such theaters as First Folio Theatre, Focal Point Theatre Company, & Prairie Fire Children’s Theatre in Minnesota. As an actor, she’s worked with The Factory Theater, Prologue Theatre, AstonRep Theatre, The Chicago Mammals, Circle Theatre, LiveWire Theatre, and Illinois Theatre Center, among others. She is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University’s School of Theatre Arts and is a proud Artistic Associate of First Folio Theatre. 

About the Company

Babes With Blades Theatre Company uses stage combat to place women and their stories center stage. Through performance, script development, training, and outreach, our ensemble creates theatre that explores the wide range of the human experience, and cultivates broader perspectives in the arts community and in society as a whole.