Patty Morris: Dream achieved through directorial debut

A University of Maine student is bringing together two of his passions — military history and theater — in a Shakespearean fashion this summer.

For his directorial debut, history major and theater minor Patrick “Patty” Morris is directing an outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry V” with the Bangor-based Ten Bucks Theatre. The show, which opened July 18 at Indian Trail Park in Brewer, will be held at 6 p.m. every night from Aug. 1-4 at Fort Knox, Prospect.  

When the opportunity arose for him to be involved with this production of “Henry V,” Morris leaped at the chance. His passion for the theater was particularly pronounced when it came to Shakespeare’s history plays, so this would prove to be a natural fit. 

Morris said his desire to teach history through theater was inspired by the School of Performing Arts’ 2022 production “Terra Nova,” directed by UMaine theatre instructor Julie Arnold Lisnet. Without the support of Rosalie Purvis, assistant professor of theatre and English, Morris said “this dream of mine would be just that — a dream.”

“I was so eager to revive the histories as part of Ten Bucks Theatre’s annual Shakespeare Under the Stars,” he said.

Morris leaned into his history background to find ways to make the piece more accessible to his cast of over 20 — the largest cast in the company’s history. Among other tactics, he sought to find a way to visually represent the action (both physical and political) and guide his actors. Through a team-up with his partner Nina Paradazick, a civil and environmental engineering major at UMaine, he found that contextualization.

“We created three maps that will be shown at every show to give actors and spectators alike the idea that this isn’t make-believe – these were actual people!” Morris said. “Connecting the history with the visuals and getting people up and moving has been a goal with this show; it’s about connecting the brain with the rest of the body. History is taught through moving around, not sitting at a desk and being lectured at 24/7.”

Read more about Morris’ directorial debut on the School of Performing Arts website. 

Contact: Allen Adams, allen.adams@maine.edu