By William Shakespeare

Adapted and directed by Rachel Kohler

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Henry of the House of Lancaster, King of England, sits precariously on his throne. Crowned when he was just nine months old, he has grown into a weak and unsuitable leader, surrounded by a rapacious aristocracy and riotous factions vying for supremacy within his government. Henry’s father, the brilliant general Henry V, won control of large areas of France some years ago, but the empire is crumbling under Henry’s mismanagement. After the young king impulsively marries the clever and strong-willed Margaret of Anjou, her scheming presence at court tips the balance of grumbling factions towards an all-out civil war. When the ambitious Richard, Duke of York, takes this opportunity to press a claim to the throne, everyone must pick a side -- Lancaster or York, the Red Rose or the White.