'The Lion in Winter:' How one dysfunctional family celebrates the holidays

JOHNSTOWN ― Sometimes it helps to see how dysfunctional another family can be to understand and appreciate your own family’s eccentricities.

On Wednesday, the Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company is bringing the James Goldman play "The Lion in Winter" to the stage for a series of live performances at the Columba Theatre Project, 916 Broad St. In the city’s Cambria City section.

Healthy hearts: How will Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center's new building improve patient care? Here's what administrators say.

The performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 28 and 29 and March 1 and 2. Tickets can be purchased online at the Band of Brothers’ box office or at the door. Tickets previously purchased for the group’s January performance will be honored as well, according to the website.

While not one of Shakespeare’s own works, "The Lion in Winter" is “Shakespeare-like” in its characters, setting and plot, but delivered in a more contemporary style, said Laura Gordon, the company’s artistic director and a former English and dramatic arts teacher at the Somerset Area School District.

The Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company is a nonprofit, live theater company that Gordon and her husband, Brad, founded in 1991. The company has been recognized as one of the best in the world by the Shakespeare Theatre Association, Gordon said.

A medieval holiday gathering with family

"The Lion in Winter" centers around King Henry II of England, his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their three sons (Richard, Geoffrey and John), Henry’s mistress, Alais, and her brother, King Philip II of France, and other invited guests who have gathered in a castle in France in the year 1183 for the Christmas holiday.

The holiday celebration is not a happy one, as Eleanor has been released from prison (put there by her husband, the King) only for the holidays, while the sons are competing against each other, and their parents, to be chosen as Henry’s heir to the throne.

Soothing sounds: What is a 'sound bath' and why is it beneficial? Here's where to try it locally.

“It’s a great show. There are many layers – political intrigue, backstabbing, family dysfunction – that all of us can relate to, especially during Christmas,” said Don Evanisko, a Band of Brothers member who is directing the play.

“It’s a dark comedy, so there are some serious moments and some humorous moments with witty dialogue. The characters don’t like each other much and are trying to outdo one another, and it shows.”

Evanisko said the play is best suited for teenage to adult guests because there are some intense action scenes and some mild language.

“There’s nothing bad or inappropriate, but there is some mild language and some innuendo,” he said.

'Theatre in the Rough'

The Columba Theatre Project’s historic architecture creates an ideal setting to bring a medieval castle to life, both Gordon and Evanisko said.

The Columba Theatre Project is part of The Steeples Project/1901 Church Inc., the organization that purchased the former St. Columba and Immaculate Conception (now called The Grand Halle) church buildings in 2011 to preserve these historic buildings and reuse them for cultural and performing arts events.

“The action on stage blends in with the atmosphere of the church, and you feel like you’re in the castle (with the characters),” Evanisko said.

He also thanked the “wonderful, hard-working cast and crew” and the Band of Brothers volunteer staff for all their efforts to make the upcoming performances successful.

Dave Hurst, project manager for The Steeples Project, agreed that Columba’s Theatre in the Rough setting suits the play very well.

“Columba’s Romanesque architecture gives the room a castle-like appearance, which will beautifully complement 'The Lion in Winter' performances,” he said in an email.

Like to sing? Why the Greater Johnstown Community Chorus is in 'a rebuilding phase'

“The room’s acoustics also are well-suited to live theatre. Add the dramatic painting on the front wall, and the impressive stained glass featuring saints, and the Columba Theatre Project is a unique place to experience dramatic arts.”

Gordon praised "The Lion in Winter" cast and encouraged the community to take advantage of this opportunity to experience local live theater.

“It’s a marvelous melding of acting, history, language and architecture,” she said of the play.

“The greatest homework parents can do is take their kids to watch live theater – it does something inside of you that nothing else can do.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Band of Brothers Shakespeare Company presents The Lion in Winter at Columba Theatre