Hickory Community Theatre "Lying in the Winter"

King Henry (Honsaker) and Alais (Meredith Potter)

The art of the actor dominated the stage in the Fireman’s Kitchen in the Hickory Community Theatre Saturday night as Rage, Cunning, Naiveté, Stupidity, Remorse, Lying and other personifications of human depravity ruled, fought and consumed each other in increasingly rapid succession.

Those of us sitting in the audience, who try daily to remember a few important things in our lives (like our grocery lists) watch in amazement as these incredible beings strut about on stage, shouting loudly an endless series of words that are far longer than any of our grocery lists ever could be.  We mortals, sitting in the audience, might assume they just made these words up.  But the other actors on stage react to them and carry on with a stream of their own.  How can they possibly do this?  Again, the art of the actor amazes.  I am not even sure I remember the title of the play.  Was it actually "The Lion in Winter"?  Not really sure.  

But – If I EVER saw anyone walking about the streets of Hickory looking like the actor (Joshua Propst) who was playing Richard, I would immediately take cover.  When I thought I safely could, I would call the police and told them there was a mad man stalking the town.  And tell them not to come alone.

Christopher Honsaker, who played King Henry, got so worked up a couple of times that I thought he was going to act out a heart attack and have a staged collapse.  But he didn’t.  Then later, he went WAY beyond that first effort but still didn’t collapse.  Then he did it again! Better than before – his face was bright red, veins leaped out on his neck and across his face and I remember thinking that if he had a real heart attack and died on stage he would receive a standing  ovation.  I would have leaped to my feet and applauded! I would have been sorry later, of course, but wow.

Now it is over.  We all survived.  Even Henry, even Richard,  and EVEN Eleanor – who clearly did not deserve to live – (played by Carys Bowen) made it through to the end and are probably studying for their next new role.  Hope they play nicer people next time.  But then -– that probably wouldn’t require as much art.