Smith Street Stage returns to Carroll Park, by Katherine Rivard

On Memorial Day, the temperature barely hit 73 degrees, but children donned their bathing suits and ran through the fountain at Carroll Park. A temporary stage sat a few feet away, covered in blue tarp, and some of the more creative children climbed atop, pouring water onto it to create a makeshift slip n’ slide. This month, the slip n’ slide will shed its tarp and assume its higher purpose as the stage for Henry V, performed by Smith Street Stage—an actor-led company that has been putting on free community programs in Carroll Park for 15 years.

The company will perform Henry V from June 7–29 (Thursdays through Sundays at 7:30 pm, with preview performances on June 5 and 6). As of last year, the company’s annual free performances in Carroll Park have been enhanced by the small stage and extra lighting, and this year the company was also proud to provide its actors with a small pay raise.

The cast is a mix of new and old members, which provides the new actors with a unique opportunity to gain experience, while returnees create a collective memory from working together as well as continuity for viewers.

To enjoy one of the performances, stop by early to claim one of the limited seats, or bring a chair or blanket to set up yourself. This version of Henry V will have a run time of about one hour and 45 minutes, with no intermission. Several of the final scenes from the original have been cut.

For the unacquainted, Henry V is a favorite within Shakespeare’s canon and popularly thought of as a war piece with a call to patriotism. Written in 1599, the play recounts King Henry V’s handling of the events around the Battle of Agincourt (1415). Wild young Prince “Hal” has grown up to become a thoughtful and pious king who decides to invade France, believing he has a rightful claim to the French throne. After a rousing speech to his troops, he leads his outnumbered men into battle and ultimately into a historic victory.

The drama of Henry V—complete with plenty of bloodshed and a hint of humor, even if it isn’t a comedy—still draws in modern day viewers. Despite Henry V’s “success,” the audience is left to grapple with questions that remain relevant today: What makes a good leader? Can charisma excuse cruelty? Is victory worth it when the cost is high and the gains uncertain? Shakespeare’s ambiguous telling of the story (along with the acting) will leave viewers to answer each question on their own.

Artistic Director Jonathan Hopkins hopes that the play will “set conflicting ideas next to each other and put the audience in a situation to digest them for themselves.”

Smith Street Stage’s production features female actor McLean Peterson in the role of Henry uses contemporary costumes, though there will be no specific time period or geographic setting. Peterson, a commanding and poised lead, debuted with Smith Street Stage as the Princess of France in last summer’s Love’s Labor’s Lost.

Curious what a female lead will mean for Henry V? According to Peterson, upon being selected for the role, she spoke with Hopkins, who confirmed that he was not interested in making Henry a woman, but rather in Peterson playing Henry.

Though the role may be difficult, Peterson is up to the challenge and confident that audience members will find something to enjoy: “It’s accessible, it’s fun, it’s relaxed, you can come, you can go, you can come back, you can come again! There’s a real lack of preciousness that makes Smith Street Stage performances really relaxing… The pressure’s on the actor to make you listen, and we’re going to do our job.”

A couple of weeks ago, two young boys were walking down Clinton Street in Cobble Hill with a babysitter. One of the boys was confused why guns existed when the only thing they do is kill people; the other noted that you need them to start races. The following week, a little girl in Carroll Park climbed on a monument, calling the cross on it a “Jesus Christ sign.”

The norms of medieval Europe, from Christian piety to bloody conquests, may feel far removed from our modern times, but plays like Henry V are an opportunity for everyone, from adults to the youngest residents, to learn about history and consider how far, or not, the world has come.