HENRY VI

PART 3 for a kingdom, any oath may be broken

King Henry VI—the well-intentioned, mild-mannered teenager in charge of England—is too busy praying and processing trauma to run his kingdom. Luckily, his queen and his favorite advisor are very good at politics.

Enter the Duke of York. Unlike Henry, he wants to be king. He never lets go of grudges, he doesn’t have the patience to play by the rules...and now, he's coming for the crown. He's even brought a whole army with him.

There's just one complication: the queen. She has an army of her own—and a baby she’ll protect at any cost. As for her new champion, Lord Clifford…well, there’s a reason his nickname is “the Butcher.”

As England plunges into civil war, it's time for everyone to choose sides. Sometimes more than once.

Welcome to a world of shifting loyalties, broken oaths, and obsessive revenge. There are no heroes. The crown is a curse. And mercy is always a mistake.

These are the Wars of the Roses. Nobody is safe.

don’t say we didn’t warn you

P.S. By the way, someone should probably keep an eye on York's son Richard. After all, ambition runs in the family.

TRUST NOBODY, FOR FEAR YOU BE BETRAYED

Emerson Helmbrecht as Henry; Charlotte Blacklock* as Margaret; Clayton Hamburg as Warwick; William Oliver Watkins* as York; Timm Coleman* as Clifford; Seth Hatch as Somerset; Gabe Girson* as Buckingham

Costumes: Nancy Nichols

Photography: Mercedes Wilby

choose your side wisely

York

Fearless, charming, and ambitious. (We would say he's king material—but that would be treason.)

Wow, we really misspelled "hot-headed, manipulative, and regicidal."

Margaret

The heroine of her own fairytale: a penniless French girl suddenly turned Queen of England. Celebrated for her beauty and admired for her courage...

...and last seen talking to her lover's severed head. In other news, she has a baby now. You do the math.

* appearing courtesy of AEA

a show for everyone

Audience members and press described our June 2025 production of Henry VI, Parts 1 & 2 as “the real Shakespeare experience,” “so much funnier than expected,” and full of “urgent, pulsing life.” In other words: mission accomplished!

Well...we can't wait to hear what they say about Part 3. After all, it features a lightning-quick plot, extra sword fights, and cast members who are now absolute experts at embodying the iconic characters who make the Henry VI trilogy so thrilling. It's an epic saga of ambition and betrayal, an intimate family drama about sibling rivalry, a heartbreaking revenge tragedy, a fast-paced political thriller, a portrait of a queen descending into madness...and so much more.

So, if you love Shakespeare, come seize the all-too-rare opportunity to see his bloodiest history play! No gimmicks, modernizations, or agendas. Just an intense, exciting theatrical event meticulously crafted by staunch Shakespeare devotees: faithful to the original language and intentions, set in the 1400s, and foregrounding the characters as Shakespeare wrote them.

If you hate Shakespeare, let us change your mind. We have our own approach, and we would love to share it with you. This is not the Shakespeare you learned in English class! It’s packed with vibrant characters and surprise plot twists; it’s suspenseful and funny and violent and human. We promise you won’t be bored or confused.

If you enjoyed our production of Parts 1 & 2, you’re going to love Part 3! Most of the original cast members are reprising their roles. The story picks up a few months after the end of 1 & 2: York, last seen headed to Ireland, has just gotten home. Henry and Margaret have had a baby. And Warwick is still in his spot behind the throne. (That's a lot of power—and you might be able to guess how he's planning to use it. Shh, don't spoil it for the newcomers.)

If you didn’t see Parts 1 & 2: welcome! Don't worry, Part 3 works as a standalone. As ever, we’ve prioritized storytelling; you’ll be all caught up within the first few minutes.

Finally, if you're a fan of the much-more-famous Richard III, don't miss your chance to experience the prequel! Among other things, you'll meet younger versions of Richard and his brothers, watch Edward and Elizabeth falling in love, get to know Lady Anne's father...and see exactly why Margaret hates everyone so fiercely.

With only 7 performances, tickets are in limited supply. Buy yours before we sell out!

See you at the theater!

The Henry VI plays are rarely performed. They have enormous casts that are impractical for most theater companies, and meandering narratives that are likely to perplex modern audience members who are not already well-versed in the relevant history. As a result, generations of theatergoers have missed out on some of Shakespeare’s funniest scenes, most vibrant characters, most beautiful language, and most heartbreaking plot twists—not to mention, onstage demon-summoning ceremonies and murderous pirates!

We are proud to provide New York’s theater community with a rare opportunity to finally experience these extraordinary plays. To make that possible, we have heavily abridged and streamlined them, distilling the sprawling originals into an intimate, urgently-paced, character-driven political thriller. We are, to put it mildly, staunch Shakespeare devotees, and we believe in remaining faithful to his text and intentions; this is not a watered-down version or a gimmicky modernization. Instead, we have carefully crafted a unique, unforgettable theatrical event: a gripping, poignant, wickedly funny saga of power, passion, and betrayal, featuring 16 expert performers, exhilarating sword fights, spectacular medieval costumes, and much more.

With only 7 performances, tickets are in limited supply. Don’t miss out on the chance to join the adventure; get yours today!

We plan to present the rest of the Henry VI trilogy in our next season.

an unmissable theatrical event

We are proud to provide New York’s theater community with a rare opportunity to finally experience these extraordinary plays. To make that possible, we have heavily abridged and streamlined them, distilling the sprawling originals into an intimate, urgently-paced, character-driven political thriller. This is not a watered-down version or a gimmicky adaptation—just a unique, intense, unforgettable theatrical event: an intense, gripping drama about betrayal, ambition, and revenge, featuring 14 expert performers, exhilarating sword fights, spectacular medieval costumes, and much more.

Don’t miss out on the chance to join the adventure; get your tickets today!

We plan to present the next installment, Richard III, in our winter season.

FOURTEEN EXTRAORDINARY PERFORMERS