Into the Hazard
…a thoughfully directed “Henry V” performed by six talented actors who deliver the sense of Shakespeare’s words in American cadences without losing their poetry…
“…simply an elegant production of Henry V itself, complete with all that heady verse converting simple iambs into the plunge and sway of battle…”
“Every now and then, you’ll find one of the rarer species of conceptualized classics: a production which develops its new take from the inside-out, investing as much care and energy into illuminating the text as it is (and not what the director wishes it was) as it does bringing the concept to life. Thankfully, Jessica Bauman’s Into the Hazard is just such a production. …one of the most entertaining and enjoyable classical productions I’ve seen in some time…”
“Bauman offers many instances in which the staging reflects the contradictions inherent in the play’s plot and structure. One of Bauman’s stated goals was to examine how media culture shapes our perceptions of war and heroism: it’s a part of the public staging of ceremony and as such is used to sell the play’s thematic bill of goods…”
“The worst thing Into the Hazard has to worry about is a surfeit of riches. The presentation–particularly from the actors–is more than enough to balance out the stray haphazard modernization, or over-the-top flourish. Jessica Bauman has succeeded in making one of Shakespeare’s slower histories, Henry V, into a dynamic show for today…”
