From studying history to directing a Shakespearean history: UMaine student takes the helm for ‘Henry V’

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

History major and theatre minor Patrick “Patty” Morris is currently directing an outdoor production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry V” with local company Ten Bucks Theatre. The show, which just completed its opening weekend and features a number of UMaine students in its cast, continues its run at Brewer’s Indian Trail Park July 25-29 and Prospect’s Fort Knox August 1-4.

While a bit less experienced than those who traditionally direct these Shakespeare productions for Ten Bucks, Morris’s combination of interests made him a good fit for helming a history play like “Henry V.”

“The way this came about was from two wonderful staff members in the theatre department,” said Morris. “Dr. Rosalie Purvis – I was in her directing class and my final project was actually ‘Richard II.’ My King Richard of Bordeaux and Thomas Mowbray, Duke of York, and Sir Stephen Scroop all signed on to work with me on ‘Henry V.’ Without the support of Dr. Purvis, this dream of mine would be just that – a dream.

“Julie Arnold Lisnet was my first director and acting teacher here at UMaine,” he continued. “When she directed me in ‘Terra Nova,’ I was blown away. My 19-year-old brain started going crazy and I was thinking to myself: ‘History can be taught through a medium that is the theatre!’ The show was a haunting display of bravery; I am forever indebted to Julie for reviving my passion for such a beautiful art.”

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

“I was so eager to revive the histories as part of Ten Bucks Theatre’s annual Shakespeare Under the Stars,” he said. “A show that is built on real history but spoken in Shakespearean language? For some actors, that’s their worst nightmare. Not only do you not know what is going on in terms of the play, you don’t know what is going on in terms of the language either. This can really turn actors off to such an amazing show like ‘Henry V.’”

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.”

Like many University of Maine students, Morris’s first choice of major wasn’t quite the right fit. And like many University of Maine students, he would find his calling – with a little help from the faculty.

“History was always something I enjoyed, whether it be going to a museum or on a rainy day watching the History Channel, or taking an old history book off the shelf at the library and reading it there,” Morris said. “I started off my career at UMaine as a communication major and it just wasn’t for me. I found my love for history again, and it has been a wonderful partnership ever since I made the decision to switch. There’s just … something … that history awakened in me that all other majors didn’t.”

Morris gravitated to military history specifically as an area of interest.

“Out of all the concentration categories in history, military history hit the closest to home since it was always what I was interested in,” he said. “You cover the ‘What? When? Where?’ questions in most high school history courses; here at UMaine, I was tasked with answering the ‘Why? How? Now what?’ questions, questions that help shape history as we know it today, especially military history.”

Morris is effusive in his praise for his teachers in the Department of History, mentioning numerous faculty members who cultivated and encouraged his historical interests.

“I’ve been lucky enough to take classes with Dr. Stephen Miller, Dr. Daniel Soucier, Dr. Joel Anderson and Dr. Asif Nawaz, all of whom have made researching and working on military history interactive and interesting,” he said. “And I’ll be forever in debt to Dr. Carol Blasi, who was my first history professor here at UMaine who without a shadow of a doubt, brought me back into history, and made me realize there is a future in it!”

On the theatrical side, Morris spoke to his longstanding love of the stage and the way in which its magical nature has provided him with a safe haven.

“Theatre has always been a safe space for me,” he said. “If someone were to ask me ‘Where is home?’, I would respond with ‘The Theatre.’ It is a place where you can be yourself while [at the same time] playing a character that shares no traits with you whatsoever.

“That’s why I love it so much,” he continued. “The vulnerability, teamwork, hardship, and overall challenge of putting on a performance is tough, and I love it. This activity is the ultimate team building exercise; everybody has to be on the same page at the same time, whether it be directors, producers, costume design, sound design, set design, actors. Everyone has a job to do and no one’s job comes first it all works itself into a wonderful egalitarian process and appears on stage as this wonderful jigsaw puzzle that audiences can marvel at.”

Morris also spoke specifically to his theatre experience at UMaine and how tremendously positive it has been, speaking to its inclusive nature and how, at the end of the day, there’s only one real requirement.

“What matters is passion,” he said. “And so long as you have that and maintain that you can be successful in the theater department here at UMaine.”

One of the many benefits of a liberal arts education is the opportunity for interdisciplinary exploration. Patty Morris’s work on “Henry V” is just one example of the many ways that exploration can manifest. The combination of his love of history and his passion for theatre allows him a unique perspective on this classic work – a perspective that he might not otherwise have gained without the flexibility to fully investigate his interests.

Patty Morris has led this intrepid cast unto the breach. And thanks to everything he has learned at UMaine, his charges will win not just the battle, but the war.

(‘Henry V’ runs July 24-28 at Indian Trail Park in Brewer, Maine and August 1-4 at Fort Knox in Prospect, Maine. All performances begin at 6 PM. You can find more information on the show here.)