University of Minnesota acting students will open performances of “James I: The Key Will Keep The Lock” on Thursday and “James III: The True Mirror” on Friday at the Kilburn Theater in the Rarig Center.
Performed in repertoire by senior acting students, both historical plays center around the lives of Scottish kings named James. They were written in 2014 by Scottish playwright Rona Munro as part of a trilogy about the first Stewart kings of Scotland, all of whom were named James.
The University’s Theatre Arts and Dance department chose not to perform “James II: Day of the Innocents,” the second play in Munro’s trilogy.
The first James play tells the story of King James I returning to rule Scotland after eighteen years of captivity in an English prison. An outsider in his own kingdom, James encounters a complicated political state upon taking the throne.
“James I” director Annie Enneking said the story is about the consequences of power and love and the inevitability of destiny.
“Life is going to happen to you whether you are ready or not,” Enneking said.
Enneking said she was drawn to the play because of the dramatic violence in the script. The morally complicated conflicts between the main characters bring an element of tension to the story, she said.
“In almost every scene, someone could be throwing a punch,” Enneking said.
Queen Joan, wife of James I, struggles to navigate the tense political strife brought on by her husband’s aspiration to unite a divided Scotland while balancing her role as a woman in the royal court. Her unique and complicated position makes her character very human, according to Molly Oubre, who plays the aforementioned queen.
“She’s trying her hardest to do the best she can,” Oubre said.
The other James play revolves around the grandiose desires of the unpopular ruler James III and the political power influence of his wife, Queen Margaret. As James III jeopardizes his reign with a series of controversial proposals, Margaret takes the reins of the kingdom and tries to steer Scotland towards a better future.
Caiti Fallon, who plays Queen Margaret in “James III,” said there is a feminist appeal to the stories. She said seeing the women of the play navigate life in the royal court is interesting because women are seldom heard in historical dramas.
Margaret is often the voice of reason in the show, Fallon said.
Director Craig Johnson said although “James III” takes place in a historical setting, the themes of the story are still relevant today. He said the play was written when the question of Scottish independence was highest, and the idea of national identity and pride is reflected in the play.
Johnson said the relationship between personal and political is central to the story as characters balance their interests with those of their country.
Logan Lang, who plays the titular James III, said he was excited about playing contemporary characters in a historical setting. He described James III as a ruler who is used to getting everything he wanted.
Playing the leading role in “James III” is fun because the titular king is widely hated by the other characters and playing into that is a fun challenge, Lang said.
Kamani Graham, who plays John in “James III,” said the political themes of the story helped him relate to his character. He said John is a fictional character created to represent parliament who is frequently at odds with the king.
“In our political state now, the idea of fighting makes sense,” Graham said.
All senior acting students have roles in both plays. The leading actors of one play comprise the ensemble cast of the other and vice-versa.
Lang said having a smaller role as part of an ensemble cast is a fun opportunity to explore another role with lower stakes. He said playing a supporting role can feel freer because it draws less of the audience’s attention.
“No one’s looking at me,” Lang said. “I can make whatever random choice I want to.”
Jack Bechard, assistant director of “James III,” said the play’s sense of setting will be established by the actors. He added the cast is composed of skilled actors who can communicate changes in setting through their performances with menial set pieces.
Both shows will be performed at the Kilburn Theater on the second floor of the Rarig Center. Johnson said the small stage and minimal set will emphasize the actors’ performances.
“The actors are the special effects,” Enneking said.
Actors were selected for their roles by the University’s Theatre Arts and Dance department without any prior indication. Rehearsals began in September, and students have been honing their faux-sword fighting skills and Scottish accents ever since in preparation for opening night.
“There’s a lot being asked of the actors in both shows,” Bechard said.