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Let’s catch up, shall we? I have been away for awhile, immersed in summer Shakespeare, so let me tell you a bit of what I have been up to!

This summer I played a fantastic part (King Henry) in a most terrific play. And, I got to play with a most wonderful cast and crew. My mouth was filled with glorious English language, provided by William Shakespeare, and we toured the greater Seattle area – traveling as far south as Des Moines, as far north as Lynwood, and we even got out east to Sammamish! During this time I made new friends, reunited with old, and had an amazing, amazing time.

When I received our initial cutting of the script (all of the plays are heavily edited, as we battle with daylight to put up these shows), I was, admittedly, a bit overwhelmed by all of King Henry’s text. I mean, the dude speechifies. I had recently closed The Taming of the Shrew, and during that production, I got dreadfully sick one week and almost lost my voice. As an actor, there are few things as terrifying as losing one’s voice! So, this time, knowing that I would be talking…a lot…I starting doing vocal warm ups before each rehearsal and performance. I went to my favorite tutor – YouTube – and I found some quick and easy warm ups courtesy of The National Theatre in London. The warm ups helped, and my voice was strong throughout out run!

The battle of Agincourt.

I was first introduced to this play in 2010, cast on the Seattle Shakespeare main-stage, where I played a conflation of few parts – Exeter and Bedford, mostly – under the direction of Russ Banham. I auditioned for the role of King Henry back then, too, but I guess it just wasn’t my time. It was, however, the production which earned me my Equity card! Another thing I was introduced to during this production was Kenneth Branagh’s film version of Henry V, which is brilliant. Enjoy the clip below:

[youtube url=”https://youtu.be/OAvmLDkAgAM”]

Our show this summer received great critical acclaim as well:

  • Seattle Shakes artistic director George Mount’s staging of “Henry V”…excels at the vigorous battle scenes…and in David S. Hogan’s forceful turn as the bold young King Henry V. Hogan’s clear, resonant voice, his keen alertness and confident bearing radiate strength and determination. Also palpable here are Henry’s flickers of self-doubt. And his expedient yet sincere wooing of a French princess (lithesome Carolyn Marie Monroe) is sweet. – The Seattle Times
  • David Hogan’s performance was exceptional and his deliverance of King Henry’s famous St. Crispin’s Day Speech was flawless and received a well-earned round of applause from the audience. – Drama in the Hood
  • Hogan rocks this great character, whether he’s giving the Saint Crispian’s day pep talk, whacking one of his old drinking buddies for stealing, or skulking among the common soldiery the night before the big battle. – West Seattle Weisenheimer

It’s a wonderful feeling to be in a show with people you love, to celebrate with the audience and engage in conversation after the performance, and to hang out with amazing artists all summer long. This year also marked the 20th anniversary of Wooden O Theatre, and I am proud to celebrate my 6th production with the troupe (previously: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors). I want to send a huge shout out to this production, to Wooden O, and to all involved in making this summer a brimming success!

And now, enjoy more cast and production photos!

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