Silly professors, English history's for theater!

Close your history books—A Man For All Seasons promises to tell the story of Sir Thomas More in a manner so vivid it will relieve your bleary eyes. As it traces More's life and moral struggle during a time of religious upheaval in England, this historical work avoids the dry retelling so common to the genre. Bolt's script is exciting and current, full of a wealth of provocative thoughts and suspenseful moments. Anyone who loves history will find the story itself gripping, however familiar they may already be with English history. The play is well acted by a cast that includes some veterans, and some newcomers to the Yale stage. Along with Director Scott Peterman, JE '02, they do justice to the script in all its complexity.

TANYA PALOMO/YH Honey, remember that Henry VIII thing? Well, I've got some bad news...

King Henry VIII, played by Robert Jordan, DC '04, constructs a new church system that will allow him to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. More, as the Chancellor of England, supports the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, in which the Pope is the highest representative of God on Earth. This prevents him from acknowledging Henry as the supreme head of the new Church of England. More's struggle stems from his desire to stay alive for the sake of his family, and his will to stay true to his firm beliefs and thereby face death for treason.

Graham Norris, MC '03, shows his broad range in the role of More, whom he plays not only as a solid man of deep principle and faith, but a man with an endearingly gentle, even playful side. More undergoes a transformation as his situation becomes increasingly precarious. Norris handles More's devotion to his family and his conflicting devotion to the church well, which requires difficult turns of mood and emotion. He has a clear sense of the character and plays More consistently to the very end.

Equally impressive is Adele Bruni, TD '02, as More's wife, Alice. Bruni has a commanding presence on the stage as a strong-willed, intense woman, angry that her husband is willing to die and leave his family for the Church. Bruni's best moment comes when her character is forced to accept her husband's hard, ultimate decision.

Freshman Vira Slywotzky, ES '04, plays the Common Man, a narrator as well as a participant in the action of the play in the form of incidental characters. The Common Man is the one character in the play who speaks directly to the audience, and Slywotzky's honest and up-front manner makes these moments entirely natural and engaging. She also gives the character an omniscient aspect, simultaneously participating in and judging the action, often to great comic effect.

Not to be left unmentioned are strong turns by James Bickford, DC '01, as Thomas Cromwell, the architect of More's destruction, and Allysha Powanda, CC '03, who offers a bit of comic relief as Signor Chapuys, an ambassador from Spain, a country invested in preserving the reputation of Queen Catherine,

The minimalist set, suggesting the interior of a Gothic Cathedral, is a fitting frame for the action. For the most part, it does not overshadow or stifle the energy of the play. Rather, it allows the actors to be the main focus. However, two poorly placed arches toward the front tend to take away from the action in that area, and the cast is not always comfortable navigating the stage, nor are they always aware of the audience and sight lines.

Theater

A Man For All Seasons By Robert Bolt Fri., Oct. 6 at 8 p.m., Sat., Oct. 7 at 2 and 8 p.m. Yale Repertory Theater

Other problems are caused by the lighting, which is inconsistent. Lighting transitions, not always smooth, frequently obscure actors on the upper levels of the set. To be fair, the lighting is always interesting, and its problems did not overwhelm the play. The costumes are generally excellent, though Henry's costume was a little loud, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet in Vegas.

Peterman should get his due credit for a great production, as should Producer Ted Rounsaville, SM '03, and the rest of the production staff. Peterman assumes perhaps the most difficult task in the entire production in his attempt to get a large group of people to understand and expand upon his vision, and he succeeds. A Man For All Seasons holds together strongly, paying careful attention to detail. Those bleary-eyed lovers of history may appreciate it more, but everyone—even those who roll eyes at the History Channel—should enjoy the show.

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