Set during the Civil War, the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s production of “Henry V” spins the classic historical drama in a new way.
At the top of the show, the stage is set with a burned down farmhouse occupied by soldiers, nurses and owners of the farm.
One returning Union soldier joins his Confederate brother on stage while the owner of the house and a slave woman sit to the side with a copy of “Henry V.”
“The owner of the house and the slave begin to read from the book and those of us in the camp have to decide when we play along and why,” senior acting major Brooke Ferguson said. “It’s such a cool idea.”
The director of the show, Nat McIntyre, felt that the state of Tennessee during the Civil War was split down the middle between the Confederate soldiers and the Union.
His artistic decision to tell this story as part of the Civil War era was his way of bringing a divided family, and thus a divided state, together.
“I love the direction that Nat took the play by setting it in the Civil War, while not having the actual events of the play happen during the War,” senior acting/directing major Jonah Jackson said. “I think it is a great way to frame this story that is ultimately about the hope for peace and reconciliation.”
Lipscomb students involved with the show include Ferguson, Jackson and senior acting major Scout Pittman.
Jackson plays John Bates, an English soldier and The French Duke of Bourbon. Pittman portrays Katherine, the French princess and Ferguson plays Bishop No. 2 and an English Messenger.
The three actors joined the Apprentice Company for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival earlier this year and trained in the language of Shakespeare for two weeks before rehearsals began.
“I originally studied Shakespeare in London two summers ago and absolutely fell in love with it,” Ferguson said. “Through this show, I’ve been learning how Shakespeare and his stories are still relevant today and how we, as a community, can still learn from it.”
Shakespeare in the Park began Aug. 13 and will run through Sept. 13 with performances Thursdays through Sundays in Centennial Park at 7:30 p.m.
Food and drink vendors open across the park at 6 p.m. with pre-show entertainment beginning at 6:30 p.m. There is a $10 suggested donation, though admission to the show is free.
Attendees are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs to spread across the amphitheater area.
“This is an incredibly fun show with funny and compelling characters that can both entertain and challenge you,” Jackson said. “Ignore the assumption that a Shakespeare play would be boring and come be open to the experience.”