Henry IV at the Wyly

Wednesday, October 6, 2010


The astonishing new Wyly Theatre in Dallas, moves into its second season with Kevin Moriaty’s production of Henry IV that again demonstrates the theatre’s extreme flexibility. This time with Theatre Projects’ Head of Design, architect and scene designer, John Coyne, responsible for the scenic environment.


The production: “offers great acting, effective staging, compelling action sequences, and a generous dollop of laughter, The pulse quickens the instant you walk into the Wyly Theatre auditorium. Scenic designer John Coyne was influential in the hall's design and has found an entirely original way to use it. Banks of seats surround the acting area on all four sides, with balconies only on the south and east. A rising mountain of geometrical wooden platforms is reminiscent of Coyne's set for Of Mice and Men in the old Arts District Theatre. Only in this case, the action  including tumultuous battle scenes  takes place all around the audience.”

LAWSON TAITTE / The Dallas Morning New

“The versatility of the Wyly has never been better displayed that by John Coyne’s scenic design; for these players the entire building becomes their stage.”

Focus Daily News

“For the production, the ever-changing Wyly is construed as a theater-in-the-round, with the audience surrounding a stage made of long, undulating strips up plywood that rise off the ground as they recede from the stage front, abutting scaffolding that surrounds the entire theater. “

Front Row