By CARRIE NEAL
A Seat on the Aisle
Power corrupts and constrains, but it also captivates. How else to explain our obsession with television shows such as Succession, Yellowstone, and Game of Thrones?
And when the battle for power between two individuals also involves a love/hate relationship which is ultimately a love story – that makes The Lion in Winter, as presented by Southbank Theatre Company, a compelling piece of theater.
Queen Eleanor has been imprisoned by her husband King Henry II for the past 10 years for leading an uprising against him, but she’s been briefly released to spend the holidays with her family. The two monarchs share three sons, each of whom has their own argument for why they should be the next ruler. And a king couldn’t possibly be expected to live alone for 10 years, so his lady love is also in attendance for this fun family reunion.
Jean Arnold plays Queen Eleanor. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Southbank has assembled a fine team of actors and designers for this production, and I was especially taken with Aric Harris’s set design for the piece. A striking chessboard motif is present throughout the evening, with the wink-wink nudge-nudge choice to have only three pieces on the actual chessboard at the top of the show. The medieval touches in set decoration contrast nicely with the actors’ modern-day costumes.
Doug Powers is a masterful Henry. He commands the stage with his blustering but breaks our hearts by Act II as he bemoans the fact that he has no loyal children. Jean Arnold flawlessly embodies Eleanor with sharp wit, ever-graceful while she’s plotting and pitting one child against the other. Their stage chemistry is wonderful, and it’s plain to see that this isn’t the first time these two have shared the stage.
Doug Powers (foreground) bellows as King Henry II. (Photo by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)
Two others stood out in this well-cast production – first of all Miranda Nehrig as Alais. She makes the most of a role with ample stage time but not nearly as many lines, ever-watchful and reactive, but also inserting a venomous barb of her own whenever she gets the opportunity. Garrett Rowe as Prince John creates a peevish, immature younger brother that the audience loves to hate. He runs away with the show in both of his petulant little hands.
While wandering pathways through the woods to get to the Shelton on a pleasantly chilly fall evening, I reflected that the last time I’d been there was 25 years ago, for the Edyvean’s production of A Little Night Music. At that time, no one yet knew that it would be the final theatrical production in this lovely space for many years. While the seating is perhaps a little the worse for wear, what a joy to see local actors treading those beautiful boards again.
Southbank Theatre Company’s production of The Lion in Winter runs through Nov. 19 at the Shelton Auditorium on Butler’s campus, Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. I’ve been told that the Ticketmaster handling fees are exorbitant and it’s best to wait and buy tickets at the door. For more information, visit SouthbankTheatre.org.
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