SHE WOLF Margaret of Anjou

by KATIE BENDER

directed by RISA BRAININ

Scenic Design | GREG MITCHELL

Costume Design | KIM SORENSON

Lighting Design | MICHAEL KLAERS

Sound Design | MICHAEL KECK

Dramaturgs | GRACE KIMBALL, CASSIE ARCHER

Choreography | CHRISTINA MCCARTHY, AFREEN SEN CHATTERJI

Stage Manager | TRINITY WICKLUND

Assistant Director | SOPHIA PAPALIA

Assistant Scenic Designer | JOSEPH HERNANDEZ

Assistant Costume Designer | LESLIE CHORT

Assistant Lighting Designer | ELIJAH FRANKLE

Assistant Stage Managers | JAELLA HARDAWAY, IZABELLA PORTER, EMILY ZHANG

Artistic Director | RISA BRAININ

Artistic Associate | JAN RUSKIN

The 2022-2023 season is made possible by the Arnhold Endowed Theater and Dance Production Fund and the Jody and John Arnhold Endowed Director of Performance Fund to view the entire program, scan the code above

— There will be one fifteen minute intermission

Before the start of our play in 1444…

The Hundred Years’ War began in 1337 between England and France. Although the fighting was not consistent, as there were ‘off periods’ of peace, the war always focused on power and territory. The French and English suffered from disease, including the infamous Black Death (1347-1352), economic difficulty, and general loss of life. In 1396, King Richard II of England married Isabella of France in an effort to stop the fighting.

However, in 1399, Henry IV took the throne after forcing Richard II to abdicate, which significantly shifted England’s political landscape. Henry IV later passed the throne to his son, Henry V, who became known for his fighting abilities during the war. After many successes on the battlefield, King Henry V married Catherine of Valois, another French woman linked in marriage to an English King to try to make peace between the two sides. The future King Henry VI was born from this union.

Henry VI unexpectedly took the English throne before he was a year old. Due to the sudden death of the French King, Henry VI was also crowned the King of France shortly after. The English government established a protectorate to help the young king, leaving Cardinal Beaufort and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in charge of England. At the same time, John, Duke of Bedford, took control of France in Henry’s place. Over time, Henry VI’s hold on France weakened, partly due to the success of individuals like Joan of Arc and internal shifts in English power.

Now, by the early 1440s, Henry VI is an adult, and both sides are exhausted by war. Negotiations for peace between England and France are once again underway.