One Royally Dysfunctional Family

It’s not a good day for Henry II, even though he’s king of England. He’s been kind enough to let his wife out of the dungeon to enjoy the Christmas holiday, but is she grateful? No. Not only that, but his sons are fighting over who should inherit the throne. And even the young woman who is set to marry one of them is complaining. “Henry,” she pleads with some justification, “I cannot be your mistress if I’m married to your son.”

If nothing else, “The Lion in Winter,” now playing at the Santa Paula Theater Center, will make you feel better about your own family problems.

James Goldman’s play, which debuted on Broadway in 1966 and was brought to the screen two years later, is based on history, but with (for the most part) a decidedly comic tone. Moreover, it’s written in modern English, making it even more audience-friendly.

David Ralphe, the center’s artistic director, plays Henry, a man who has built the largest empire in the world, at that point in history, in part because of strategic alliances with the king of France. The deal included Henry’s marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine (Linda Livingston) and the betrothal of one of his sons to Princess Alais (Stephanie Lowe), then a mere child, which resulted in Henry’s acquisition of a large quantity of French land.

As the play opens, several years have passed and it’s now 1183. Alais’s brother (Kevin Beard) now rules France and wants his land back. Henry’s sons Richard (Weldon Michaels) and John (Alan Sam Glasband) both feel they should be the next king. Richard, the eldest and strongest, is Eleanor’s choice, while the 16-year-old John is Henry’s.

Richard is rather thickheaded, and John, a simpering ninny. Geoffrey, the smartest son, knows he’s out of the running but is even more cunning than either of his brothers and takes every opportunity to redirect loyalties to his own benefit. Eleanor is very bright, but of course has her own interests in the battle for the throne and the relationship between England and France. Complicating everything is the fact that even though the queen has been imprisoned by the king, there’s still some vestigial love between the two of them. This is one remarkably dysfunctional family. And don’t underestimate the king of France.

You won’t learn here how it all turns out--in a sense you won’t even learn from the play how it all turns out. But keep in mind that these are the same Richard and John who later in their lives figure significantly in the Robin Hood legend.

The cast is a uniformly strong ensemble under Gerald Castillo’s assured direction. Livingston’s Eleanor is intelligent and composed, Glasband’s John is probably the most amusing (but was he using Pauly Shore as a model?), and Ralphe seems confused much of the time as Henry--but who wouldn’t be, under the circumstances? Compliments, too, to Jeff Steiger’s resplendent set design.

“The Lion in Winter” moves to the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center from April 11-May 15.

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‘Big River’

The production of “Big River,” whose recent Ojai run was widely hailed in these pages and elsewhere, has recently moved to Simi Valley’s Cultural Arts Center, where the musical, based on “Huckleberry Finn,” ends its run this weekend. With one significant exception--Michael McCurtis taking over as the slave Jim--the cast remains for all practical purposes unchanged. McCurtis is excellent, as are the rest of the players under Taylor Kasch’s direction, and the show remains recommended. The Cultural Arts Center, much larger than the Ojai Art Center, tends to swallow dialogue and requires a higher energy level from the ensemble, though. And the drums and electronic keyboard sometimes overwhelmed the excellent singing at Sunday’s matinee.

BE THERE

“The Lion in Winter” continues through April 6 at the Santa Paula Theater Center, 129 S. Seventh Street, Santa Paula. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday evenings, and at 2:30 Sunday afternoons. (805) 525- 4645.

“Big River” concludes Sunday at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. (805) 581-9940.