Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII

For a king determined to have a male heir, it’s ironic that Henry VIII is primarily known for his six wives. His legacy did not live on with his only son, Edward II, but with Elizabeth I - and with her not providing an heir that’s also where the Tudor reign ends. The play is set in purgatory (or something like it as Protestants don’t believe in purgatory), Henry (James Cougar Canfield) must face each of his wives who have defined his reign. Although this play is all about Henry, it is the women who shine in this production. Canfield has written dynamic women here whose own histories have been reduced to “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” As the titular role, Canfield presents Henry as crass, arrogant and stubborn ... full review