"The Lion In Winter" Playing At Community Theatre

Kings, princes, queens, a castle in France, maneuvering and intrigue, the allure of history, keenly witty dialogue. "The Lion in Winter" by
James Goldman has them all.

King Henry II of England, considered an old man at 50 in 1183 when the play takes place, is determined to name his youngest son John heir
to his powerful kingdom.

Eleanor of Aquitaine, his queen, is equally determined that their oldest surviving son Richard the Lionheart will be next on the throne. Add to
the mix their brilliant, scheming middle son Geoffrey, 17-year-old King Philip of France and his sister Alais, who is also Henry’s mistress, and
you have all the ingredients for treachery, passion and intrigue as the royal family gathers for Christmas at the French Castle of Chinon.

The MAC-Community Theatre production features David Smit as Henry II, Mary Elizabeth Atwood as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eric Danielson
as Richard the Lionheart, David Ringle as Geoffrey, Brett Currier as John, Rebekah Alice Dryden as Alice and Nick Wasinger as Philip. The
production is directed by Penny Senften, who is ably assisted by an excellent crew assembled by Thom Jackson and Roger Adams.

There is a wealth of historical information on this period of European history. We know that Henry, king of England and half of France, was
well educated and extremely able, but he was also impetuous and had a fierce temper when roused. His queen, Eleanor, was one of the most
powerful women of the 12th century; Henry imprisoned her for sixteen years for assisting their sons in uprisings against him.

These were times very different from ours. This was the century that saw the first glass windows in England (1180), the development of the
measurement of latitude and longitude (1120), the founding of Oxford University (1167) and of the city of Liverpool (1199). Even though the
context may be foreign to us, the characters Goldman portrays are motivated by passions that have remained unchanged through the
centuries: power and love on a grand scale.

This brilliant play and award-winning movie was among the top most requested plays in the Community Theatre’s recent audience
survey.Some adult content.

PERFORMANCE DATES: Nov 10-12 and 16-19, 2000

PERFORMANCE TIMES: Thurs, Fri, Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.

TICKETS: $10 (adults), $7 (students), $4 (children). Student walk-ins Thurs & Sun $5. Tickets available now. Call 537-4420, e-mail
programs@manhattanarts.org or stop by the Arts Center, 1520 Poyntz, or Streetside in Aggieville.