Every Family Has Its Ups and Downs

The Lion in Winter

James Goldman’s twelfth century historic comic-drama depicts a life-and-death struggle between King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine and their three resentful sons. But fear not: this isn’t Shakespeare. Goldman’s play is purposely anachronistic, making it feel completely contemporary. The playwright penned his play to seem like a dark, contemporary-sounding drawing room comedy about, you know, a typical family struggling for absolute power. After one of the many knockdown drag out fights, Queen Eleanor quips, “Well, what family doesn’t have its ups and downs?” You might imagine a production that’s similar to Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” but with a few more characters and performed in Medieval drag.

Goldman’s dramedy is, indeed, filled with its ups and downs. King Henry II has gathered his dysfunctional English family for the Christmas Court at Chinon, France. For the occasion, the Plantagenet monarch has temporarily released his estranged wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, from her prison cell. She’s been locked up in the Tower of London for the past ten years, after she incited a rebellion between her sons and her husband. Also included in the holiday festivities are their three children. They include Richard, the King’s eldest surviving son, the strongest and toughest of his boys; Geoffrey, the most intellectual of the family, but a coldly devious and amoral schemer; and John, the youngest son of Eleanor and Henry, who’s smelly, pimple-faced, self-entitled spoiled brat. With Henry favoring John and Eleanor pushing for Richard (and no one favoring Geoffrey), the King plans to name one of his sons to be his successor to the throne upon his death. Merry Christmas!

Two other special guests have been included in the holiday festivities. Philip Capet, the young, recently crowned King of France, joins the Christmas gathering because he’s distantly related to Henry’s family and is seen as a political pawn or ally. In addition, Philip’s beautiful, younger half-sister, Alais, is in attendance. While she’s been betrothed to marry Richard since they were both children, Henry’s son isn’t particularly interested. He’s been having a secret relationship with Philip for several years. Also, lovely Alais is in love with Henry, and is currently his mistress. So over the next 24 hours, as the holly and ivy are hung and the wine is being mulled, the audience gets treated to two-and-a-half hours of conniving, combat, plotting and plenty of funny and witty insults being hurled at one another.             

The title of the play can pertain to a couple of ideas. The metaphor reminds us that Richard, one of the primary players, and who’s nicknamed The Lionhearted, is the eldest son of King Henry II (the real lion in this play). In addition, the play happens to be set during the winter months, specifically on Christmas, in 1183. The title is also a little-used phrase. “The lion in winter,” refers to a proud, competent man who’s growing older, or is in the winter of his life. But this man still remains active and vital. Henry says “I’ve snapped and plotted all my life. There’s no other way to be a king, alive and fifty—all at the same time.”

Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson directs the Court Theatre’s opening production for their 2023/24 season with his usual passion and bold strokes of brilliance. This is really a domestic drama, but of epic proportions, and told through contemporary thoughts and words. He wisely places the focus on the play’s seven royals, particularly Henry and Eleanor. 

John Hoogenakker, last seen in the Court Theatre’s production of “Wait Until Dark,” portrays the King with boundless energy and a shrewd spirit of gamesmanship that makes the theatergoer believe in his mastery as a wise monarch. But the King has truly met his match in lovely Rebecca Spence who is making her Court debut as Queen Eleanor. Enjoyed at Northlight Theatre in “Intimate Apparel,” as well as in “The Crucible” at Steppenwolf, Ms. Spence dominates the stage with every entrance. Her Eleanor is a sharp and resourceful woman, hardhearted when necessary and vulnerable when it suits her needs. While imprisoned, she’s had a long time to plan her counterattack. Eleanor knows which buttons to press to achieve what she wants. In this love/hate relationship and death match power struggle between the royal couple, Eleanor plays into Henry’s weaknesses, as well as his strengths.

The monarch’s three sons are nicely played by Shane Kenyon, as Richard, the eldest, for whom warfare is his strength; Brandon Miller, as Geoffrey, the middle son who, despite his intelligence has gone unloved by his parents; and Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton, as sullen and sulky teenager, John. Philip, the young, somewhat inexperienced King of France, grows more skillful as the play progresses. He’s exceptionally portrayed with grace and a hidden sneer by Anthony Baldasare. And beautiful Netta Walker, so radiant at Northlight in “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley,” may look innocent as Alais. But as the play progresses we see that she is every bit as conniving and ruthless as everyone else. 

James Goldman’s stirring, if somewhat lengthy, play was written in 1966. Two years later it was adapted by the playwright for an Oscar-winning film. But the story is as current as today’s headlines, straight out of Washington D.C. A void exists, as this dysfunctional royal family squabbles incessantly for power. The story reminds us of the constant infighting among a certain United States political party. The outcomes for both are left up in the air. 

At the end of “The Lion in Winter,” after which this royal family has certainly shared its ups and downs, everything is as it was in the beginning of the play. Eleanor returns to prison, the three princes are left squabbling over the crown, Alais is caught in the middle and King Henry still has no successor. It looks like history really does repeat itself, and everything old is truly new again.    

Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented November 3-December 3 by the Court Theatre, 

5535 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available in person at the theatre box office, by calling 773-753-4472 or by going to www.CourtTheatre.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.