Explore the brutally thoughtful, fiercely funny, belligerent diplomacy of King Henry V with The Classical Theatre of Harlem. Our young King Henry V takes the throne, his dying father's advice to "busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels" ringing in his ears. His reputation as a fun-loving lad who's lived among the common folk inspires love from commoners and disregard from his enemies. Join CTH's powerful exploration of what it means for a king to bear the burdensome expectations of the crown – and the people to bear the expectations of the king – as Henry V works to win the hearts of all.
Praise for Henry V
"This production returns Shakespeare to the people, where it belongs."
-THE NEW YORK TIMES
"...High octane, wonderfully entertaining..."
- BACKSTAGE - CRITIC'S PICK
"...A blueprint for a kid who rises to be President..."
- HUFFINGTON POST
"...King of Uptown!"
- VILLAGE VOICE
"...Jones is charismatic, virile, eloquent and inspiring..."
- TIME OUT
Directed by Jenny Bennett
Biography
Jenny Bennett is proud to be a fourth-generation Theatre Woman, whose multiple disciplines in the arts include directing, acting, playwrighting, and producing. For seven years, she worked in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, where she created a theatre company that produced a full season of plays, comedy improv and extreme theatre weekends with the collaboration of playwrights, directors and actors from several countries. She also directed an award-winning annual Theatre Project that trained English through Theatre practice for Shu-Te University. Since returning to NYC, she's been acting in projects like CTH's award- winning play Emancipation and the world premiere of Chuck Mee's Coney Island Avenue. Jenny also piloted the TACT Academy for The Actors Company Theatre. Directing credits include Macbeth, Dangerous Liaisons/ Weixian Guanxi, Romeo & Juliet, Into the Woods, Godspell, Arcadia, The Lady's Not For Burning, As You Like It!, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, The 3Penny Opera. Jenny has an MFA from the PTTP at the University of Delaware.
The cast of henry v
Ty Jones
(HENRY V)
Broadway/Off-Broadway: ENRON, The Blacks (OBIE Award); Julius Caesar (w. Denzel Washington); Henry IV (with Kevin Kline); Judgment at Nuremberg. Classical Theatre of Harlem: Emancipation: Chronicles of the Nat Turner Rebellion (Best Actor AUDELCO), Macbeth (AUDELCO Nom: Best Actor), Trojan Women (Drama Desk Award/ AUDELCO Nom: Best Supporting Actor), King Lear. Regional: American Shakespeare Theatre Company: Hamlet, Baltimore Center Stage/MSC: Six Degrees of Separation; Guthrie Fences, Film/TV: The Taking of Pelham 123, The International, REDACTED, Kiss it up to God; Heaven's Fall, My Normal, Law & Order (All!). Writing Credits: Emancipation (Sundance Finalist), Capital Crimes. Named "One of the 25 to Watch" by Time Out Magazine.
Carine Montbertrand
(Alice, Canterbury, Nym, Gower, Le Fer)
Off-Bway: Frankenstein, Soho Rep; The Acting Company (Lady Macbeth, Margaret). Also NY: La MaMa ETC, Young Playwrights Festival, FringeNYC. Regional: Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park ("Acclaim Award", Emilia in Othello), Pioneer Theatre, St. Louis Rep, Capital Rep, Hangar, Utah Shakespeare, and many others. Dozens of audiobooks for Recorded Books Productions ("Earphones Award", American Library Association's "Notable Recording", "Selected Audio"). University of Delaware's REP company member. MFA,UD.
Lelund Durond
(Bardolph, Constable of France)
OFF-BROADWAY: The Glass Menagerie, Kumble Theater; A Raisin in the Salad, NYC Fringe Festival; Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Emancipation, Classical Theatre of Harlem; The Doll Confessions (LDTG), Urban Stages; Dreamgirls, Kumble Theater. INTERNATIONAL: Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song: A Hood Opera, Sons d'Hiver Festival, Paris. REGIONAL: Blue Door, PlayMakers Repertory Company; ...and L.A. is Burning, Florida Studio Theatre; Bloody Black- beard, Triad Stage; A Christmas Carol, Actors Theater of Louisville & Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Well, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Cleveland Play House. Mr. Durond holds his MFA in acting from the CASE/Cleveland Play House Actor Training Program.
Fedna Jacquet
(Princess Katherine, York)
Fedna Jacquet is blessed to make her CTH debut. Previ- ously she has starred in Central Square Theatre's Ti Jean and His Brothers, Company One's The Emanci- pation of Many and Miss Ellie, The Overwhelming, The Providence Black Rep's The Etymology of Bird, as well as countless other Brown Productions including FunnyHouse of a Negro, Anowa, Inkblots, The Book of Daniel, and Cabaret. She would like to thank her family and friends for their awesomness, www.FednaJacquet.com...it's like magic.
Kalon Hayward
(Bedford, Governor Harfleur)
Regional: Native Son (New Century Theatre Com- pany). Senior Performance major at Fordham University. Kalon is honored to make his NYC debut with the Classical Theatre of Harlem. He thanks Ty Jones and Jenny Bennett for giving him the oppor- tunity to play. He thanks his family and friends for their continual love and support. God is love.
Glenn Gordon
(Pistol, Lord Scroop, Burgundy)
Theatre Credits: Waiting For Godot (Classical Theatre of Harlem); Deep Azure (Congo Square Theatre); Ameriville (Universes Theatre Company); Sanctified (Alabama Shakespeare Festival); upcoming Production of Re:Definition (written by Glenn Gordon). Training: BFA in acting from Howard University
Michael Early
(Duke of Exeter, Sir John Falstaff )
CTH: The Trojan Women, Mother Courage, Dream on Monkey Mountain. Off-Broadway: The Public, Signature Theatre, Prospect Theatre, Take Wing and Soar. Regional: Yale Rep, Hartford Stage, McCarter, Williamstown, Berkshire, Great Lakes, Cleveland Play House, Center Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre. Television: Damages, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Early Edition, All My Children, One Life to Live. Teaching: Sarah Lawrence College, Vassar, Oberlin, British American Drama Academy, Harlem School of the Arts. Education: M.F.A., Yale School of Drama.
Jeremy J. Tardy
(Dauphin, Cambridge, Bates)
The King Stag (Perry-Mansfield); The School for Wives, Night of the Living Dead, Peter and the Wolf, Othello, The Watson's Go to Birmingham, The Importance of Being Earnest, Romeo and Juliet (First Stage). Training: The Juilliard School.
Paulo Quiros
(Michael Williams, Bishop of Ely, MacMorris )
Los Valientes, One Man Show, Core Ensemble. Ghosts, Oswald, Access Theater. Macbeth, Macbeth, Extant Arts. Midsummer Night's Dream, Oberon/Theseus, Extant Arts. Three Sisters, Vershinin, Algonquin Theater. 200 Mystical Fictions, Kazuo, FringeNYC. La Ronde, Poet, Extant Arts. Little Shop of Horrors, Dentist, Princeton Summer Theater. Waiting for Godot, Pozzo, Matthews Theatre. The Bacchae 2.17, Dionysus, Matthews Theatre. Princeton University, Department of Theatre and Dance.
Chantal Nchako
(Montjoy)
Chantal, a city girl from Cameroon, West Africa is happy to be working with such talented artists in Henry V at The Classical Theatre of Harlem. Education: Howard University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Oxford University's British American Drama Academy (BADA) – concentration: Shakespeare with John Barton. Appreciation to Ty Jones and Jenny Bennett for believing in my art, and Katrina Olson, one of New York City's 'finest' stage managers. For additional information visit www.choobiz.biz
KWASI OSEI
(Westmoreland)
Kwasi is thrilled to be making his debut with CTH.Theater credits include: Hurly Burly, All Men Are Whores, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Out of Order, among many others. TV/film credits include: TU & EU (You & Me), Homecoming, 3 to 5 and Glassy BFA from SVA. He thanks Javi for making it all possible.
Tremayne Rollins
(Boy)
Age 13. Regional: A Raisin in the Sun ( Travis) and The God of Grandma (Lil Richard). Workshop/Reading: SEED (Che-Che), Phreak (Bobby), Casket Sharp (Lil Scrap), and Dragon Slayer (John). Winner of 2010 AUDELCO Rising Star award for SEED. He will be attending LaGuardia HS for drama in the fall. Special thanks to CTH, Radha Blank, Peggy Alston, family and friends for all the support.
Stephanie Berry
(King of France, Mistress Quickly, Erpingham)
The 2009/2010 recipient of the TCG/FOX Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship as a"distinguished artist."This award is in recognition of her diverse and groundbreaking work in the arts as a performing artist, teacher, writer, and producer. A veteran of the stage, film and television, Stephanie is proud to be working in her community.
KARIM SEKOU
(Gloucester, Orleans)
Shows: Taming of the Shrew, Room Service directed by Gerald
Freedman, Love Labour's Lost directed by Gerald Freedman, Makin It directed by George Faison, Sango at Orisha Tales Rep (Chroreographer, AUDELCO award) World Culture Expo in KoreaThe Mask (UK tour) directed by David Bell. Education: University of North Carolina School of the Arts - Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting 2005-2009. Board of Trustees - North Carolina School of the Arts
Warren Jackson
(Fluellen, Gray, Bretagne)
Was ecstatic to be making his CTH debut. NY/NJ credits include: Romeo and Juliet, Aquila Theater, and American Globe Theater (title role); Pecong, Twas Co.; The Clandestine Marriage, Centenary Stage Company (NJ). Other Regional: Railroad Bill, Chester Theater Co.(MA); The Tempest, NC Shakespeare Festival; Fences, Clarence Brown Theater ( TN); Macbeth, NEA nat'l tour, AL Shakespeare Festival; Romeo and Juliet NEA nat'l tour, Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He received nominations for his work from the Black Theatre Alliance of Chicago for Best Featured Actor, in Victory Garden's world premiere of Shoes, and from the regional Emmy board for his ensemble work on Chicago children's television show, Green Screen Adventures. MFA: The University of Arizona. He dedicates his performance to his brothers in blood, and in arms, for their inspiration and support. "Though one may be over powered, two can defend themselves. A chord of three strands is not easily broken." Ecc. 4:12