“A Man for All Seasons” moving -- albeit slowly

Tom Titus

The British had a rather effective way of dealing with dissension back

in the 16th century. Separating one’s head from one’s body -- also a

swift, uncluttered method of divorce -- usually did the trick.

Robert Bolt’s historical drama “A Man for All Seasons,” the current

occupant of the Huntington Beach Playhouse, examines one of the pivotal

moments in English history, the creation of the Anglican church in the

reign of King Henry VIII. The establishment of the Anglican church was

primarily so that the monarch could jettison unwanted wives without

resorting to the headsman’s ax -- although he did use that method to

dissolve two of his six marriages.

Nefarious dealings in high places -- between the monarchy and the

about-to-be-converted Catholic Church -- occupy center stage in Bolt’s

meticulous chronicle. It’s a slow-moving piece, which is genuinely moving

if one resists the impulse to bolt the theater at intermission.

The first act, even in capable hands, could serve as a substitute for

Sominex as the weighty issues are presented and pondered over in a sort

of semantical pingpong. The dialogue serves as a lengthy yet necessary

exposition for the play’s central character, Sir Thomas More, whose

allegiance to the church and his own unwavering conscience presents a

major stumbling block to the king in his plan to divorce his barren first

wife and marry Anne Boleyn and produce a male heir to the throne.

In the second act, however, philosophical push comes to physical shove

and the dramatic adrenaline begins to flow. At the Huntington Beach

Playhouse, some enduring performances rise to the surface.

Director David Colwell has mounted an ambitious, though occasionally

flawed, production marked by splendid thrusts of intellectual and

emotional power. The finest individual performance in this weighty

ensemble comes, as it must, from Christian Morgan in a superb rendering

of the unbreakable Sir Thomas. Morgan balances his rock-solid conviction

with an excellent sense of intellectual irony as he triumphs in the war

of words only to lose the ultimate battle.

Another beautifully realized performance is delivered by David Colley

as the scheming sycophant Richard Rich, a smarmy cipher in the overall

picture who insinuates his way upward at his old friend’s expense. Tony

Grande delivers an authoritative account of More’s principal accuser,

Thomas Cromwell, whose support from the Crown gives him a frightening

mandate.

Two apparently minor characters who leap into their own after

intermission are More’s fervently contrary wife and achingly supportive

daughter, played by Annie Mezzacappa and Maria O’Connor, respectively.

Mezzacappa delivers a strong dose of realism as she prods her husband

to bend his conscience to save his neck, while O’Connor’s tearful

fidelity to her beloved father is equally heart-rending.

Less effective performances are fashioned by Tom Turnley in two

clerical assignments as Cardinal Wolsey and, later, the Archbishop of

Canturbury; Richard C. Hawkes as the Duke of Norfolk and Ivar Vasco as

the Spanish ambassador. Mark Ciarrocchi’s brief but vital turn as More’s

son-in-law is well presented, while Mark Pulsipher has a brief and

generally lifeless sequence as the young Henry VIII.

Narrating the tale, and assuming various characterizations in it, is

the Common Man, a dramatist’s device and an attempt to glimpse the drama

from a peasant’s-eye view. Joe Schulein is, perhaps, a bit too old to

tackle this ubiquitous role, but he brings an agreeably light touch to it

nevertheless.

Vincent Roca’s unit setting works well for the production, functioning

as residence, courtroom or prison cell, and Ron Wyland’s sound design,

especially the aquatic effects in the boating scenes, is particularly

creditable, as is Richard Taylor’s area lighting.

“A Man for All Seasons” may lull you into slumber or pique your

conscience, depending on your taste for old English drama. However, if

you return for the second act, you’ll be justly rewarded.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Independent.

FYI

WHAT: “A Man for All Seasons”

WHERE: Huntington Beach Playhouse, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach

WHEN: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7 p.m.,

Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. through May 12

COST: $14 to $17 (students $7 Thursdays)

PHONE: (714) 375-0696