A LION IN WINTER
Elite Theatre Company
2731 Victoria Ave, Oxnard, CA
October 23 – November 22
Election cycles are ideal for local theatres to stage shows about the pursuit of power and those who seek it. Elite Theatre Company’s latest offering, “The Lion in Winter” provides the insight into those bold enough to be ambitious and the inevitable trappings they’ll encounter. “Lion” is James Goldman’s play of wit and not a wasted word. Director Tom Eubanks has arranged so that the crisp dialogue is delivered in a space intimate enough to hear, yet broad enough to feel like a 12th Century palace. “Power is the only fact,” bellows King Henry II (a perfectly cast Alan Waserman). Henry is on a mission: having built an empire, this is the story about his pursuit of another end – that of transition. Knowing that his sons are lined up and conniving for his throne, Henry is having his final say: he chooses his mistress Alais (Morgan Bozarth) to marry his warrior son Richard (Adam Womack). Henry knows: if he doesn’t hand Richard the crown “he’ll take it anyway.”
Strong as Henry has built his heir apparent, his mother Eleanor (Vivien Latham) has also had her hand in building Richard’s character. By lending him the gift of poetry and instilling in him a love for words, she has created a weakness she can exploit at her will.
Like many elder statesmen Henry now desires peace to be his legacy and he’s called in Phillip, the King of France (Alex Czajka) to help negotiate a deal. With his other sons Geoffrey and John (Eric McGowan and Trent Trachtenberg) conspiring against him, Henry counts on the priests to write his ultimate legacy. “Henry,” they’ll say, “was a master bastard.”
The pursuit of power is a dungeon of its own. Is there anyone in “Lion” who doesn’t have an agenda? No. They’re all captive to their ambitions. Therefore Bob Decker’s set makes sense, giving the impression that, while safe from the outside world, each is in a dungeon of their own making.
Roger Krevenas has provided the palace with some nice furnishings and Jaye Hersh’s costumes are simple and functional, the centerpiece being Latham’s royal purple coat that flows nicely with a sheer dress and headscarf. Like each of the others, Eleanor seems prepared for the winter ahead, until power – and lives of those wanting it – finally transition.
The Lion in Winter
Elite Theatre Company
2731 Victoria Ave, Oxnard, CA
October 23 – November 22
Tickets: 805-483-5118 or http://www.elitetheatre.org
