October 6–22
Rulers may not live in stone castles anymore, but the efforts of competing factions to decide who will take over are as fascinating and fraught now as ever. In The Lion in Winter, showing this month at the Pennsylvania Playhouse, we enter a castle, where a king and queen are vying to choose an heir on Christmas Eve.
Written during an American trend in the ‘60s toward Britain’s medieval history, the film version of this classic won Katharine Hepburn an Academy Award for her role opposite Lawrence Olivier. The story gives us King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine coming to the climax of a long argument over whether son Richard or John—the same who compete for the crown in the story of Robin Hood—should be the next king. Middle son Geoffrey is on his own side. Through crafty manipulations and courtly cunning, each tries to advance his or her own vision for the future of the kingdom. The King of France and his sister arrive, too, adding their own motives to the mix of sibling rivalry and marital discord.
Director Clair M. Freeman, who also teaches theater arts at colleges in the Valley, says you don’t need a history degree to enjoy the show. “It’s a really funny, dark comedy and, at the same time, a story about the legacy we try to leave behind. It’s a good-old family drama.”
It’s his third time as part of the production, each time intrigued by a different aspect of this “Game of Thrones without the dragons.” Whether it’s the twists of who’s stabbing whom in the back, the comedic quality or the resonance of leaving a mark on the world, this tale from the Dark Ages has modern audiences rapt.
Adults: $25; Seniors & Students: $22 | Thurs., Fri. & Sat.: 7:30 p.m., Sun.: 3 p.m. | Pennsylvania Playhouse | 390 Illicks Mill Rd., Bethlehem | 610.865.6665 | paplayhouse.org
