​THE CHRONICLE OF JOHN HARDYNG
a letter of devotion to a theatre mentor
transforms into an imaginative treatise
on the subject of loyalty.

John Hardyng [1378-1464] was the devoted squire of the knight and military diplomat Henry "Hotspur" Percy, whose powerful family was based in Northern England. Hardyng's time with the Percy family ended when Hotspur was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

Something Out of Nothing

This tale of John Hardyng shares the surprising appearance of this squire within a stage production of Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One - in James Edmondson's captivating rendition of the play at the esteemed Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1981. The squire's presence through nine scenes of the Bard's history play (a creative addition to the original script) was as unusual as it was true. From royal court, to Warkworth household, to Wales, and on to the Shrewsbury battlefield, Hardyng stayed by his master Hotspur with a iron-clad devotion.

Five decades after that particular stage production, the character of John Hardyng is speaking through the pen of the apprentice actor who embodied him - who is now an elder scribe. Time flips and folds, and the liminal pages flutter. The story of Squire & Scribe travels concurrently between the environs of medieval England to a grand Elizabethan playhouse situated in modern day America, and it is in the liminal gap of those two places where the reader can experience for themselves the truth of Konstantin Stanislavski's stage adage: "There are no small roles."

galloping on horseback, a letter delivered.

This tale also reverberates with a surprising and devoted pledge from the squire:
to find a way to lead us all away from the conflagrations of war,
to a place of safety where we may recognize an achievable peace.

​Squire & Scribe also gives the reader a proper glimpse into the tremendous impact that the theatre artist James Edmondson, a national treasure, had on more than five decades of American regional theater artists, and Stuart's tale takes us into the process of that experience. Edmondson's work in the arts was an unparalleled gift to so many.

In September of 2024 Mr. Stuart was joined onstage by his Oregon Shakespeare Festival colleagues to present this story ​in a large-scale gathering in Ashland, Oregon - with their mentor James Edmondson [b.1938 - d.2025] in attendance. The tribe gathered, and all was well. 
​With thanks to actors Richard Howard, Kevin Kenerly, Steven Patterson, Jeanne Paulsen, Larry Paulsen, John Pribyl, Vilma Silva, U. Jonathan Toppo, Kathleen Turco-Lyon, and Rex Young.

​The chapbook SQUIRE was independently published in 2024. A revised and full manuscript SQUIRE & SCRIBE - due out in early 2027 - includes the expanded story of this unique medieval man who became a historian of English history, and quite likely a spy for the crown. The new publication features a section addressed to young actors as they embark on their journey into the canon of Shakespeare's works.