It's not where you start...
TheatreWork's "A Man for all Seasons"
***1/2 (out of *****)
Mark S.P. Turvin
(w) 965-1021  (h) 894-5443
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@asu.edu

	TheatreWorks' production of "A Man for all Seasons" is an 
ambitious undertaking. The well-known play, which runs well over 
two-and-a-half hours, chronicles the calculated risk taken by Sir 
Thomas More, a highly respected intellectual and statesman of the 
sixteenth century as well as the devoutly Catholic Chancellor to 
King Henry VIII at the time of the creation of the Church of 
England. Its large cast and lofty language, coupled with the 
breadth of the subject matter and its intense acting requirements 
make it a challenge to mount. Add to this TheatreWorks production 
problems, including the resignation of the technical director a 
week before opening and one of the lead actresses bout with 
chicken pox during rehearsals, the elements of disaster are firmly 
in place.
	And, judging from the half-finished look of the set and 
lighting and the first thirty minutes of the show, one can surmise 
that this is what director Cathy Dresbach and producer and 
impromptu tech director David Wo wound up with. The surprise comes 
with the last two hours of the show, though, which suddenly clicks 
and improves dramatically. 
	Sir Thomas More's gamble involved using his keen lawyer's 
mind to outwit the wily Thomas Cromwell, secretary to King Henry 
VIII. When Henry breaks with the Catholic Church and begins his 
own after the Pope denies him a divorce to marry a woman who might 
bear him male children, the fiercely Catholic More remains silent, 
never voicing his disagreement with the King's tactics, which 
makes him a martyr while legally never committing the act of 
treason that would cause his beheading.
	TheatreWork's gamble involves putting up this difficult 
production in a recently acquired space with no legitimate 
technical director and aided by several untested actors. Their 
gamble pays dividends, though only after two muddied and hesitant 
scenes with so-so acting by the leads and an atrocious portrayal 
of the doomed Cardinal Wolsey by Robert Foley. Foley drops lines 
and presents the Cardinal's ailing health in a way that causes 
this scene, an important one to establish the plot, to be slurred 
and generally incomprehensible. With the entrance of More's 
nemesis, Thomas Cromwell, strongly, simply and precisely played by 
Brian Hurley, the production suddenly comes together, drawing the 
audience into the plots and machinations of Henry's court. 
	As Sir Thomas More, Kerry Ellis gives an even and studied 
performance, making his character instantly likable and heroic, a 
first for a lawyer. Martin Foxwell, who plays the pivotal role of 
The Common Man, a narrator, commentator and witness to the events, 
starts off weak, grows much stronger throughout the evening, then 
inexplicably falters near the end again, though not to the 
detriment of his previous performance or the show. Appropriately 
slimy and heinous is Master Richard Rich, very well-performed by 
Eric Woods. His Machiavellian ways take him from the weakest to 
the strongest character onstage. 
	Weaker, though understandably so, were the performances of 
the two lead actresses. Lauren Ann Scieffer as Lady Alice, Thomas' 
wife, was at times the lion that she needed to be, though her very 
station, in history as well as the play, held her back. Theresa 
Jenkins as Lady Margaret, Thomas' daughter, gave a credible 
performance, though when not the focus of attention, tended to 
drop character. The rest of the cast was solid, with commendable 
performance by Bob Keyes as Signor Chapuys, the Spanish diplomat, 
and Wes Martin as the Duke of Norfolk, As well as an interesting 
portrayal by Tony McGraw of King Henry VIII, shown less as a 
commanding leader than a foppish gadabout.
	Worth noting is the generally balanced use of accents in this 
production. As opposed to going whole-heartedly into British 
accents, the cast gave simple hints and inflections, which was a 
good sight better than recent productions with more varied 
results. On the whole, Ms. Dresbach's direction was simple, but 
did make good use of the space afforded by Gregory Jaye's multi-
leveled castle. Despite its half-finished look, the set did lend 
itself well to the production, establishing the many varied 
locations required by the script.
	While the first section of the production was stilted and 
awkward, the turnaround made by the cast is commendable, and makes 
this a worthwhile evening of theatre.

Production Details:
"A Man for all Seasons" by Robert Bolt
TheatreWorks, Peoria
815-7930
March 29th-April 21st, 1996

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