Dot theatre troupe Praxis Stage to revive the Bard’s ‘King John’

Praxis Stage, the Dorchester-based theatre troupe that staged a production of “Coriolanus” at the Little House last fall, will return with a production of Shakespeare’s “King John” at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End from Jan. 30 through Feb. 16. As with “Coriolanus,” several cast members in the play are Dorchester residents, including Michael Underhill, who will play the title role, and Jeremy Johnson, who will portray the characters of King Philip and Hubert.

While “King John” is not among the more popular histories written by the Bard, Praxis founder Daniel Boudreau described it as “the greatest Shakespeare play you’ve never seen.”

Underhill told the Reporter in an interview that he expects the work to resonate with contemporary audiences, whether or not they are Shakespeare nerds.

“The play is slippery,” Underhill said. “There’s a constant changing of stakes and of who’s in power...there are a lot of moving pieces. But it’s also very ‘one percent-y’ in that it deals with folks who make decisions that don’t impact them.”

p6 michael underhill Praxis REP 5-20.jpg
Dorchester resident Michael Underhill will play the title role of King John. Photo by Niles Hawver, Nile Scott studios

The political struggle at the center of the play is between King John of England and King Philip of France, who supports a claimant to John’s throne. For Underhill, it was a challenge at first to humanize an out-of-touch character who assigns little value to the soldiers and citizens he views as pawns in a geopolitical game.

“It’s the job [of actors] to be their character’s best advocate,” he explained. “With characters that are making these inhumane decisions, where do you find the humanity?”

One way in which Underhill believes King John is human is in his insecurity. In his reading of the character, the king suffers from a form of “impostor syndrome” – a psychological phenomenon stemming from feelings of inadequacy that Underhill says he himself has experienced. 

“No matter how long you’ve been doing something, or how secure you are in your position, there’s a creeping doubt that you’re not worthy,” he said. “You can see that King John has this need to please others who are disappointed in him.”

Jeremy Johnson expressed similar struggles in identifying with King Philip. He described how in one scene, he and Underhill “show up at a muddy battlefield dressed in our nicest clothes and order men to fight battles for us.” But Johnson must also grapple with a flipped perspective: he is simultaneously playing the role of Hubert, King John’s right-hand man.

“[Director Kim Gaughan] has been very deliberate in terms of doubling so that each one of us is playing characters on different sides of the coin,” explained Johnson. The effect of that casting decision is a further blurring of lines and allegiances, he said.

“No one has any courage to their convictions, and there are these constantly shifting alliances where everyone is doing what’s best for them politically; no one’s standing for anything,” said Johnson. “Philip is definitely guilty of that; I change my mind at least five times over the course of the play. But in contrast, Hubert tries to follow orders, wrestles with his conscience, and he’s one of the few characters that does so.”

p6 jeremy johnson Praxis REP 5-20.jpg
Dorchester resident Jeremy Johnson will play the roles of King Philip and Hubert. Photo courtesy Praxis Stage

In this repeated flip-flopping of alliances, Underhill sees a commonality in the game of politics and how the power struggles of the past reflect ongoing conflicts in today’s world.

“It’s frustrating because you feel like you can’t trust anyone,” he said. “For me, it reminded me of the way the news cycle has affected information; everyone’s got an angle.”

Johnson pointed out similar examples of the play’s accessibility, many having to do with two political entities split along a strong divide and suffering from an inability to communicate with each other.

“Shakespeare amazes me,” he said. “Wherever we are in time — politically, historically — something’s going to resonate.”

Praxis Stage’s production of King John will open on Thurs., Jan. 30 at the BCA’s Calderwood Pavilion and run through Sun., Feb. 16. Tickets are $19.75 and are available for purchase at bostontheatrescene.com.


Subscribe to the Dorchester Reporter