Henry VIII, Revisited And Reinvigorated

Henry VIII, which tells the story of a monarch wrestling with his conscience, is one of Shakespeare's least-performed plays. But the Somerville-based Actors' Shakespeare Project has taken it on in a new production with highly acclaimed director Tina Packer at the helm.

Packer is the founder and former director of Shakespeare and Company in the Berkshires, and she's considered one of the foremost interpreters of Shakespeare. If anyone would have an answer to why Henry VIII hasn't received the attention of Shakespeare's other plays, she's the one.

So WBUR's Sacha Pfeiffer sat down with Packer to talk about why this play has lesser status than so many other Shakespeare works and why she decided to make it her latest venture.

The Actors' Shakespeare Project's production of Henry VIII is onstage at Suffolk University's Modern Theatre through January 5th. 

Tina Packer, founder of Shakespeare and Company and a highly acclaimed director.