Full Circle Players, a local community theatre group in Riverside, present Henry V, a historical and epic play from William Shakespeare, opening on Thursday Oct 3 at the Box in Riverside Ca. This production stars J. Kay Weldon, an experienced LA based actor and comedian who has performed Shakespeare on stages all over the world.

Full Circle Players has delivered yet another amazing portrayal of Shakespeare for the stage. Earlier in the summer this group toured around the I.E. performing The Tempest in their Shakespeare in the Park series, and just like The Tempest, Director Wendi Johnson has captured the epicness of Shakespeare's story and even with minimal set pieces, recreated it on the stage.

J. Kay Weldon's performance as Henry V was absolutely amazing, bringing a range of emotion and just enough humor to really capture the essence of the character as he transforms from a young prince into a resolute leader facing the weight of war and the loss and sacrifice that comes with it. Weldon’s ability to convey both vulnerability and strength was particularly evident in his rousing speeches, including the iconic St. Crispin’s Day address, which nearly stirred me out of my seat.

Several of the players performed multiple roles with great success. Romeo Maybrier took on both the roles of the King of France and Gower and Scoop, but in each role, brought that character to the front, preventing the audience from being jarred by thinking that the King of France is undercover in the English army. All of the actors who performed multiple roles did really well with keeping them separate and making sure they didn't blend into a single character in different outfits.

A definite shout out to "The Chorus" performed by Rob Crisell. The Chorus can often be a really awkward character in a show, since they don't interact with any of the other cast, and can come off rather monotone or as more of a modern day narrator than the character needed to transcend the limitations of the stage and challenge the audience's imagination. Crisell was such fun to watch as he bounds around the stage, rousing the audience and bringing them into the scene with him.

Overall, the entire cast is fantastic, and really work well together in their various roles, and even for someone like me who find Shakespeare to be a bit of a trudge at times, the pacing of the show, and the excitement really make for a fun night of epic storytelling.

The Box is a small intimate theatre that is set up on the rooftop of The Fox Performing Arts Center, and is accessible via the parking garage of the Food Lab. Show times are: October 3 pay what you can - 7:30pm , October 4, 5, 11, 12 - 8:00pm and Sunday October 6 for a "relaxed" performance - 2:00pm and finally Sunday October 13 - 2:00pm. Get your tickets from the Full Circle Players Online Box Office.

See our complete set of photos on our Flickr page.