Meet Aragon and Boelyn- Exclusive Interview

You've asked for exclusive interviews with the Queens, and we've delivered.  Rachel, the Queens' appointed videographer, managed to sit down with them for a bit and get some tidbits on camera.  Enjoy meeting Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn- candid and ridiculous!

The making of....

No explanation is really needed...just watch.




Pretty exciting stuff.  Final tech rehearsal is tonight, final preview tomorrow night and opening on Friday!

As the Queens say, "You have no idea...."

Challenge- "The Race"

At a pivotal moment in Six Dead Queens, the women are arguing (again).

Who is the True Queene? The eternal question for these women.

After a stunning sword fight with Cleves and then a delightful music number, Katherine Parr is pretty sure she is the only one who can qualify for the title of "true queen". But in spite of Parr's impressive showboating, the other queens are not going to go down without just one more fight, so Parr challenges them to "The Race". I won't give away how we stage The King Henry Stakes (bring your derby hats and mint juleps!), but I think the below photos are pretty good depictions of what each dead queen would look like in horse form...but you don't have to take my word for it.

Katherine of Aragon- "a buxom Spanish mare, dignified but temperamental"

Anne Boleyn- "tall, elegant, and showing a good leg"

Jane Seymour- "a clean little white mare with beautiful pink accessories"

Anne of Cleves- "an unusual German breed- Vorsprung durch technik"

Katherine Howard- "unbridled and a little spooked"

Katherine Parr- "tall, sturdy, built like a tank"

Six Dead Queens & an Inflatable Henry opens Friday, Sept 7, 2012 at the Greenhouse Theatre Space in Chicago, IL.  Click the link to get more information on how you can get your ticket, and find out what all of these horses and one race car have to do with the Tudor Queens. Giddyup!

-Denita

Greensleeves and Glamour- A not-so-humble note from Anne Boleyn

Hello World, 

In case you don’t know me (that can’t be very many, right?), my name is Anne Boleyn. I was asked to write a bit about myself and I am most happy to do so! 

On this day in 1536

The trials of four of the men with whom Anne was accused of ...shall we say, dallying, had already been concluded.

On the 12th May 1536, Mark Smeaton,the musician Anne had been fond of;  Sir Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston and Sir William Brereton were tried at a special commission ( seperately from Anne and her brother George, who were members of the nobility). These men had little chance against the towering Tudor legal system. There was no defense counsel and they did not have any previous knowledge of the evidence to be used against them, yet they were responsible to prove their innocence--rather than the Crown having to prove their guilt.
When they walked into that courtroom for the first time and layed eyes on their jury, they must have known they were doomed. The Jury consisted almost entirely of men who were either politically inclined against them, owed special favors to the king, or at least would not have wanted to anger him in any way. As Alison Weir writes in The Lady in the Tower,

“Given the affiliations of these men, and the unlikelihood that any of them would risk angering the King by returning the wrong verdict, the outcome of the trial was prejudiced from the very outset.”

The trial went just as you may predict. As Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial Ambassador, wrote to Charles V later in the week,

"Only the groom confessed that he had been three times with the said putain and Concubine. The others were condemned upon presumption and certain indications, without valid proof or confession.”

So it was, only Smeaton confessed (most likely under torture) and the other three pleaded Not Guilty. But they were unable to convince their jurors. All four men were found guilty on all charges, declared traitors and sentenced to the usual traitor’s death, to be “hanged, drawn and quartered, their members cut off and burnt before them, their heads cut off and [their bodies] quartered” at Tyburn.

Yikes.
Which brings us to today.

The following is also from Chapuys' letter to Charles V:

“The day before the putain’s condemnation he sent for Mrs. Semel by the Grand Esquire and some others, and made her come within a mile of his lodging, where she is splendidly served by the King’s cook and other officers. She is most richly dressed.”

That "Mrs. Semel" is Jane Seymour. Sir Nicholas Carew had been sent by the King to move Jane nearer him and install her in a house in Chelsea. The day before Anne Boleyn is found guilty. (But I'll save more on that for tomorrow!)

Here is a letter from Cromwell to his good buddies Gardiner and Wallop, 14th May 1536. If it isn't already apparent that the cards are stacked against Queen Anne, this will seal the deal. Nothing a little bribery, flattery and promises can't take care of:

“The King has deferred answering their letters sent by Salisbury till the arrival of the bailly of Troyes. Has to inform them, however, of a most detestable scheme, happily discovered and notoriously known to all men. They may have heard the rumour of it. Will express to them, however, some part of the coming out, and of the King’s proceeding. The Queen’s incontinent living was so rank and common that the ladies of her privy chamber could not conceal it. It came to the ears of some of the Council, who told his Majesty, although with great fear, as the case enforced. Certain persons of the privy chamber and others of her side were examined, and the matter appeared so evident that, besides that crime, “there brake out a certain conspiracy of the King’s death, which extended so far that all we that had the examination of it quaked at the danger his Grace was in, and on our knees gave him (God ?) laud and praise that he had preserved him so long from it.” Certain men were committed to the Tower, viz., Marks and Norris and the Queen’s brother; then she herself was apprehended and committed to the same place; after her Sir Fras. Weston and Wm. Brereton. Norris, Weston, Brereton, and Marks are already condemned to death, having been arraigned at Westminster on Friday last. The Queen and her brother are to be arraigned tomorrow, and will undoubtedly go the same way. “I write no particularities; the things be so abominable that I think the like was never heard. Gardiner will receive 200l. of the 300l. “that were out amongst these men, notwithstanding great suit hath been made for the whole; which though the King’s highness might give in this case, yet his Majesty doth not forget your service; and the third 100l. is bestowed of the vicar of Hell [Sir Fras. Brian], upon [whom] though it be some charge unto you, his Highness trusteth ye will think it well bestowed.” From the Rolls in haste, 14 May.

P.S.—Wallop will not be forgotten, though Cromwell cannot tell at present how much he is to have. The King is highly pleased with the services of both.”

 

For more, check out the very thorough Anne Boleyn Files.

This witchy Boleyn by Carlyn Beccia

Anne Boleyn and the Merry Month of May

May of 1546 was not a good month for Queen Anne Boleyn. Accusations, the Tower, her trial and finally execution. Stay tuned over the next week for all the gory details that took place 464 years ago.

A whimsical and pompous Anne Boleyn by sculptor G. S. Stuart. Find more on his  Miniatures here.

She Fell From Grace. From the grace of His Grace. She had a long way to fall, as you can see in this early letter to her from Hunky Hal:

My mistress and friend, I and my heart put ourselves in your hands. Let not absence lessen your affection; for it causes us more pain than I should ever have thought, reminding us of a point of astronomy that the longer the days are, the further off is the sun, and yet the heat is all the greater. So it is with our love, which keeps its fervour in absence, at least on our side. Prolonged absence would be intolerable, but for my firm hope in your indissoluble affection. As I cannot be with you in person, I send you my picture set in bracelets, with the whole device, which you know already, wishing myself in their place, when it shall please you. This from the hand of your loyal servant and friend

H Rex

Look at that romantic use of poetry and science! Such similes were used in the wooing of a reluctant heart! And how far would fall that head, reluctantly severed for its own "prolonged absence" from her body! If you want a giggle, re-read the above as though it's Anne's head writing to her body. 

And for a really fascinating look into the popular Prophesies that may have been fulfilled with Anne's untimely demise, check out the really excellent blog of author/illustrator  Carlyn Beccia! I'd copy it for you here, but that would be plagiarism. Do check it out, this entry is really fascinating!

-More next time....

Love,

The Queens

just a friendly rivalry...right?

Brianna here, Jane Seymour in our play.

I was just doing some reading and came across an interesting tidbit from the pages of History.

Very little is known about Jane before the time she caught the eye of our Harry.  But there is some conjecture, based on a portrait by Holbein, in the royal collection at Versailles, entitled maid of honour to Mary of England, Queen to Louis the Twelfth; which hangs besides one of Anne Boleyn of a similar title. Could it be that Jane finished her education at the court of France? 

If so, she would have been living in the same court as Anne Boleyn, at the same time, and they both were likely to have returned to England and Henry's court together as well.

Can it be that these two queens, from similarly power-hungry families, may have been girlhood companions? Maybe even girlhood rivals, raised to the same purpose of gaining Henry's affections for the benefit of her family?

How fascinating!

Anne brought France back with her and revolutionized the English court with music, wit and fashion. Jane, as Queen, sent it all back again. 

And then there's this:

"If tradition is to be accredited, Jane had been introduced to Court but a short time, when the Queen, seeing a splendid jewel suspended from her neck, expressed a wish to look at it. Jane blushed, and drew back; when the Queen, whose jealousy had already been aroused against her, violently snatched it from her neck; and, on examining it, found it to contain a miniature of the King, presented by himself to her fair rival."

http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/janeseymour.htm

When sometime later Anne walked in on Henry with Jane seated on his knee and happily accepting his caresses, she flew into a passion and ordered Jane away from court.  But Jane ignored the orders of her mistress and sovereign (and long-time rival?) and stayed. Thus was Anne started off, and eventually she was finished off too. This boldness from the future Queen who is only ever accredited with modesty and virtue!? There is definitely more to Queen Jane than meets the eye- after all she raised no moral qualms when she was betrothed to King Harry the day after Anne was beheaded!

So, Jane the Queen- Henry's perfect bride- turns out to be quite the mystery. Not so boring after all, eh girls!?

And if she really was a rival to Anne Boleyn since childhood, (and possibly learned all the same tricks from France but chose to use them very differently) that gives me a great 'real-life drama' to take with me as I work to embody some version of this woman on stage!

Warwick Castle and Tussauds

Check this out! Apparently Warwick Castle (see John Dudley, Earl of Warwick and his royal meddlings regarding Lady Jane Grey) was owned for several years (recently) by Tussauds, who did a heap of renovations and added their famous wax figures.

Why do I even know about this? A friend from college (the lovely and talented Chris B.*) recently posted pics from her trip to England and couldn't resist sharing this beautiful photo:

Want to see more? Here, another visitor (who may be almost as lovely and talented as Chris), has posted her pics on Flickr of the figures depicting Henry and his wives. Henry and wives in wax.

Isn't this fascinating? (Mental note: Visit Warwick Castle when in England.)

Seeing all of these waxen ladies together in one room, I can't imagine they would have sat there in such a docile manner. Aragon would be trying to kill Boleyn, Parr would be bossing everyone around and telling them to mind their manners, Cleves would have stood on the sidelines wondering what was going on, Howard would maybe have helped Aragon just because it looked like fun, Seymour would have stood there disapproving of it all and Henry would be wondering what the hell he got himself into!

*Chris B's last name omitted to protect her from pre-renaissance-obsessed stalkers.