‘A Man For All Seasons’

THE MAN: Dressed as chancellor of England, Frank Langella is brilliant as Sir Thomas More in Robert Bolt’s drama, “A Man For All Seasons.” (Joan Marcus)

NEW YORK—One man’s conscience can move mountains. It can also throw a kingdom into turmoil, as shown in the powerful revival of Robert Bolt’s 1961 drama, A Man For All Seasons, now running on Broadway.

In 1529 England, King Henry VIII (Patrick Page) wants to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, so he can marry his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Catherine has not been able to give Henry a son, something he needs to ensure the continuation of his royal line. But in order to divorce Catherine, he first needs permission from the leader of the Catholic Church, i.e. the Pope, a permission that is not forthcoming. Angrily, the King takes steps to circumvent the situation through a series of laws proclaiming him Supreme Head of the Church of England, and basically severing all connection with Rome.

Standing (figuratively) in the way of the King’s plan is Sir Thomas More (Frank Langella), chancellor of England. A former barrister and profoundly religious man, he refuses to give his consent to such a scheme without the church’s sanction and commits perhaps the ultimate act of civil disobedience when he resigns his position in protest.

While Henry certainly does not need More’s approval, it is something he desperately wants as Sir Thomas is a much-admired man as well as a sort of personal conscience for the King. Despite More’s effort to stay silent on the issue, Henry, through his intermediaries, is determined More sign an oath supporting the marriage. As the situation worsens, more and more pressure is brought to bear on More, as those who were once his allies are forced to turn against him for their own survival.

However, More is a man who refuses to be cowed, much to the frustration of Thomas Cromwell (Zach Grenier), a member of the King’s inner circle and one determined to get More to either publicly approve of the divorce, or publicly refuse to do so, in which case it gives Cromwell the means to destroy him. In the end the matter boils down to a matter of conscience between those who can make sacrifices for the sake of expediency and safety, and those who must hold on to their beliefs because it makes them who they are.

This is a play that operates on several levels. In addition to the importance of a man standing up for what he believes in, the work can also be seen as an example of how a ruler can usurp the will of his people (who are for the most part strongly against the divorce) and their religious moral compass (the Catholic Church), eventually ruling by fear and intimidation. There’s also an interesting point about the respect (earned and unearned) that comes with the acquisition of power.

Langella is wonderful in the role of More, imbuing Sir Thomas with a quiet inner strength born of his convictions, and a sure air about him when in public. (Although he can seem somewhat scared when alone.) At the same time, the character carefully chooses every word he speaks, sometimes combining them with a bit of levity, employing the letter of the law to get him out of a tight situation on more than one occasion. Indeed his exchanges with Cromwell and other interrogators remind one of a very intricate chess game.

In the supporting roles, Maryann Plunkett works well as his long-suffering wife Alice, forced to undergo a humiliating loss of position and security due to her husband’s actions, but who loyally and lovingly stands by him through all his trials. Page is quite good as King Henry, a combination of a powerful and personable man, but one who will not stand for anyone opposing him—even if said opposition is through silence (which after all, can speak volumes.)

Unfortunately, others in the cast do not stack up nearly as well. Grenier makes an okay Cromwell, but often nearly crosses the line into parody, being more toadyish than menacing. Also a problem is Jeremy Strong as Richard Rich, an ambitious social climber, paying lip service to the question of ethics, and who figures importantly in the story. However, the character is not portrayed with nearly enough depth to make him all that interesting.

Direction by Doug Hughes is strong when it comes to matters of plot, i.e. keeping the story moving and continually ratcheting up the tension. However, when it comes to characterization, his work sometimes misses the needs of the script, with the result being simple stock characters when three-dimensional figures are called for.

The sets by Santo Loquasto are nice and austere; costumes by Catherine Zuber are quite good, as is the lighting by David Lander.

Fortunately, a riveting performance by Langella (which will hopefully be remembered when it comes time for the Tony Awards), and the story itself make the entire experience more than worthwhile.

Also in the cast are Peter Bradbury, Michel Gill, Dakin Matthews, Triney Sandoval, Patricia Hodges, Charles Borland, George Morfogen, Emily Dorsch, Curt Bouril, Alex Cole, Elizabeth Gilbert, Miguel Govea, Einar Gunn, and Andy Lutz.

A Man For All Seasons
Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company
American Airlines Theatre
227 West 42nd Street
Tickets: [phone] or www.roundabouttheatre.org        
Running Times: Approximately 2 hours, 30 minutes
Closes: Dec. 7

Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.