Play on Shakespeare: Henry IV Part 1

- Blurb -

The two-part tale of King Henry IV, rewritten with new language for the twenty-first century. Shakespeare' s two Henry IV plays follow the exploits of King Henry IV after usurping the crown from his cousin Richard II. Featuring some of Shakespeare' s most recognizable characters such as Prince Hal and the roguish Sir John Falstaff, Henry IV, Part 1 delves into complicated questions of loyalty and kingship on and off the battlefield. Henry IV, Part 2 follows Prince Hal as he grapples with his eventual ascent to the throne and his increasingly strained relationship with Falstaff. As the king falls sick and Hal' s ascent appears imminent, Hal' s decisions hold significant implications for all those around him. Modernizing the language of the two plays, Yvette Nolan' s translation carefully works at the seeds sown by Shakespeare-bringing to new life the characters and dramatic arcs of the original. These translations of Henry IV were written as part of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival' s Play On! project, which commissioned new translations of thirty-nine Shakespeare plays. These translations present work from "The Bard" in language accessible to modern audiences while never losing the beauty of Shakespeare' s verse. Enlisting the talents of a diverse group of contemporary playwrights, screenwriters, and dramaturges from diverse backgrounds, this project reenvisions Shakespeare for the twenty-first century. These volumes make these works available for the first time in print-a new First Folio for a new era.