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The Folger Spotlight

Louis Butelli: Here's a Health to the Company

Louis Butelli stars in Henry V at the Folger.

Louis Butelli stars in Henry V at the Folger.

Hello again from your pal Louis Butelli!

Well, here we are, in the midst of our final week of Henry V at the Folger Theatre. It’s a special week for a variety of reasons. First, due to some pretty great press and overwhelming demand for tickets, this week is an extension from our initial closing date. Second, the excellent Richard Sheridan Willis had a pre-existing commitment and was unable to stay with us for the extension (more on that right here). This means that I am on as the Chorus this week. I hope you’re able to come along and see us as we race to the finish line!

Meanwhile, this will be my final post for Henry V. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone who has been following along, and to the delightful Katie DeBuys for sharing blogging duties with me.

As we get ready to close our show, here are a few highlights from our time together, in case you didn’t get to read them the first time around:

It’s hard to believe this journey is about to come to an end. It has been an honor to work on this great play with this amazing team, and a pleasure that it has been as successful as it’s been.

The great joy of working on any piece of theater is in the collaborative nature of the art form. A big, disparate group of people, from a number of specialized departments, must come together to create something larger than the sum of its parts.

Folger Theatre’s production of Henry V is no exception. Without the expertise and teamwork of every department – from the producers, the administrators, the front of house staff, the volunteers, and the security guards to the designers, the technical team, the marketing team, the stage management team, the performers, and the understudies – this production would simply never have been. So, thanks, guys! I’ll miss you all!

The cast & crew of Henry V. Photo by Scott Suchman.

The cast & crew of Henry V. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Finally, to finish off this series of posts, I just want to take a second to acknowledge my dear friend and collaborator of many, many years, the director of Henry V, Robert Richmond. It is thanks to Robert’s vision and leadership that the show had the success that it did, and I am honored and excited to start working on his version of Twelfth Night, coming next to the Folger.

Thanks again for reading. Until next time!

Comments

This blog has been an absolute joy to follow! It has been so much fun getting an inside look on your rehearsals and has inspired me to start writing a blog for my own productions. Thanks so much!!

ladyheroofmessina — March 7, 2013

Thanks, “lady!” It’s been a joy to contribute to the blog. There will be more to come for our upcoming production of “Twelfth Night,” so please keep reading!

And good luck with your production blog. It’s really, truly great fun. Cheers!

Louis Butelli — March 7, 2013

Reading the blogs before seeing the show gave me a wealth of inside information, and made the wonderful production even more fun to watch. Thanks to all the cast members who took the time to write for us, your appreciative audience. Looking forward to the Twelfth Night blogs!

Karen DenBleyker — March 7, 2013

Thanks, Karen! Glad you’ve been enjoying – I’m looking forward to Twelfth Night blogging, too. Cheers!

Louis Butelli — March 8, 2013

I attended Henry V on Saturday the 9th. It was my first time to attend a Folger performance and what a fabulous show! Excellent cast, and Louis you were outstanding as Chorus and all of your roles! Congrats to all on a wonderful run!

Debbie Eliason — March 13, 2013

Thanks very much, Debbie! I certainly hope it won’t be your last visit to the Folger. Come along and see us perform 12th Night, coming soon. More info on that here in the blog over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again, and come back and see us!

Louis Butelli — March 13, 2013