AnJi White and Steve Pickering/Photo: Lara Goetsch
RECOMMENDED
It’s fitting that “The Last Wife,” Kate Hennig’s drama about a royally dysfunctional family, would follow on the heels of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s “Tug of War: Civil Strife,” which finds the Wars of the Roses subsiding and the rise of the Tudors fast approaching. Hennig’s play, which trades militaristic barbarism for chic brutality, concerns itself with that infamous second-generation Tudor known as Henry VIII and his sixth (and, you guessed it, final) wife, Katherine Parr. Hennig is deeply invested in power dynamics, shifting the image of Henry away from that of a lascivious tyrant while also highlighting the autonomy (or at least the desire thereof) of his wife. With its modern aesthetic, “The Last Wife” is more “House of Cards” than “A Man for All Seasons” and as a production takes some inspired risks.
For this production in particular, TimeLine’s dedication to dramaturgy serves their audience well. Hennig is an attentive scribe who does not seem particularly interested in catering to the historically illiterate among us. That being said, you can still enjoy “The Last Wife”—particularly the worth-the-price-of-admission performance from Steve Pickering as the disarming, sardonic and seductive king—without the abundant background information in the program, though spending time with it will enhance your experience.
Perhaps in an effort to not overstay its welcome, the play’s second half is clipped and fragmented compared to its meatier first. It can feel at times like Hennig’s script may have been better suited to the BBC than the relatively modest stage at TimeLine. This is a big story, one that could use more than two settings, especially given the carnal implications of bedrooms and dining rooms in a narrative that is far more invested in seduction than consummation.
The ethnically and racially diverse cast (in a story where “fairest of them all” could have been taken quite literally) ties nicely to the theme of family as a social rather than biological construct. As Katherine, AnJi White is a good match for Pickering though her affair with the comparably effete Thomas Seymour (Nate Santana) is less believable.
A play of palpable intelligence that occasionally gets distracted by surface sensuality, “The Last Wife” sums itself up nicely in one of many sharp, sexy tete-a-tete’s between Katherine and Henry. As he prepares to go into battle, ill-advisedly, she turns to him to say, “You might not be wise but you are smart.” (Kevin Greene)
TimeLine Theatre Company, 615 West Wellington, (773)281-8463, timelinetheatre.com, $22-$51. Through December 18.
Related Stories
Family Matter: A Review of Iron Kisses at Theatre Above the Law This two-hander lays bare the bonds of siblings, forged in the fire of parental expectations.
Leeway for Risk-Taking: Finding Family in the Chicago Theater with Mark Larson "In my heart of hearts, I’ve never left. I never will leave.”
Fall Arts Preview 2019: Director Jesca Prudencio on Sports, Family and Culture in Lauren Yee's "The Great Leap" "Theater and sports have so much common. They are live events that bring groups of people together to witness conflict."
A True American Family: A Review of American Hwangap at Halcyon Theatre RECOMMENDED “I wrote a poem for you, Dad,” says his son Ralph, shifting his weight from side to side, twitching with nerves. He forgot the poem in his other trousers, though, and finishes his toast ad lib, lifting a Juicy Juice juice box instead of a glass because his anti-anxiety meds are contraindicated with alcohol. It’s been a long time…
Familiar Family, Familiar Feeling: A Review of The God of Isaac at Grippo Stage Company RECOMMENDED The strength of this particular production is not just with its relevancy but its familiarity. T. Isaac Sherman (Isaac), who is also the son of playwright and role originator James Sherman, breaks the fourth wall as if he’s telling an anecdote during a high holiday. The direct placement of Anita Silvert (Mrs. Adams) as well as her interaction with…
