Any theater company that takes on Pirandello has their work cut out for them. Although Pirandello's oeuvre, focusing as it does on the human condition, never loses pertinence, it requires an audience willing to work for their entertainment.
Halcyon Theatre's "Henry IV" offers a production both uniquely approachable and characteristically opaque. Adapted and directed by Tony Adams, it tells the story of a man who, after falling from a horse, loses himself to a character he portrayed. Twenty years later, his former love-interest returns with an entourage of associates, all of whom have varying stake in "Henry's" return to lucidity. During a key confrontation, "Henry" references the "different self within yourself," and asks, "have you always been the same?" In doing so, he skewers the superficial lengths to which we go to sustain the image we hold of ourselves, in effect challenging the accepted model of a fixed self. An intricate meditation on the nature of madness and the concept of self, "Henry IV" shifts constantly like a funhouse hallway, never revealing who has control.
In general, it can be a struggle to connect to the content behind Pirandello's structurally cumbersome sentences; however, a patient audience member is rewarded by perceptive, surprisingly current insights sprinkled throughout the long-winded passages. In this case, a uniformly strong cast enlivens the beautiful language by virtue of their obvious mastery of the thematic undercurrents propelling the dialogue.
Although the play's philosophical underpinnings are exhausting to consider, Adam's energetic direction, specifically his innovative choices in the opening sequence, draw the viewer in. If you're looking for a light diversion, you may want to look elsewhere (the musical adaptation of "Dirty Dancing" hits Chicago in September), but if you like your entertainment with a side of dark philosophy, you'll want to give this lively production a chance.
Reviewed by Centerstage!