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Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles at
The Japanese Garden- VA West LA Campus
Henry IV Reviews
Henry IV
Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles at The Japanese Garden- VA West LA Campus
Thru - Jul 1, 2018
Los Angeles Times- Recommended
"...The production, which opened Friday at the Japanese Garden on the West Los Angeles VA campus, stars Oscar winner Tom Hanks as Falstaff and stylish Shakespearean player Hamish Linklater as Prince Hal. But much of its success can be attributed to the smooth direction of Daniel Sullivan, who knows his way around the Bard's comedies, tragedies, histories and romances."
LA Weekly- Highly Recommended
"...Tom Hanks as Falstaff, Joe Morton as King Henry IV and a solid supporting ensemble add up to half a dozen good reasons to see director Dan Sullivan's staging of Henry IV, now playing in the Japanese Gardens on the West L.A. VA campus through June 24."
Broadway World- Highly Recommended
"...Tom Hanks stars as John Falstaff, the fat man with a larger than life personality whose lust for wine, women, feasting and frivolity made him one of Shakespeare's most popular creations. He is the poster boy for dodging responsibility, and a natural choice of companions for a wayward prince indulging in the baser side of life before stepping into the duty-bound role of a king."
Santa Monica Daily Press- Somewhat Recommended
"...I know I'm the odd one out but watching Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles's "Henry IV" on June 8, I was not nearly as impressed as other reviewers have been. I felt the production was uneven, that the actors were not completely connecting with one another, and while there were moments achieving some Shakespearean heights, generally it felt like the ensemble had not quite yet gelled."
Stage Raw- Somewhat Recommended
"...This is a play about growing up and growing old, mortality and responsibility... from a decidedly masculine perspective. What can be said for the production's racially diverse casting definitely cannot be said for female inclusion. The few women characters in the play are either submissive, fools, or bawdy whores - which simply doesn't play for a modern audience. Surely, if we can cast colorblind, we can make similar strides to include at least one actress among the supporting ensemble. Emily Swallow's talent shines, but that talent is nearly wasted in her two roles."