SQUIRE
​The Exploits of John Hardyng: 1403, 1433, 1463

​what began as a letter of devotion to a theatre mentor, transmogrified into
​a treatise ​on the power of the imagination.

Something Out of Nothing:
"There are no small roles."

John Hardyng [1378-1464] was the devoted squire of Henry "Hotspur" Percy, based in Northern England and ending with the Battle of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, and this tale shares his addition/appearance in 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. John's journey through nine scenes of the Bard's history play is as unusual as it is true. 

​Four decades after that particular production of the play, Hardyng is speaking through the pen of the apprentice actor (now an aging scribe) who embodied him. Time flips and folds, and the pages flutter. Squire travels concurrently to a medieval battlefield and a grand Elizabethan playhouse, and it is in those places where the reader can experience for themselves the truth of Konstantin Stanislavski's stage adage: "There are no small roles."

This manuscript is a love letter delivered by horse, 
galloping from the 1400's ​and arriving in the 2020's, 
​with its message firmly in hand.

If you are unaware of the artistic national treasure James Edmondson, this tale will give you a proper glimpse into his tremendous and everlasting impact on more than five decades of American regional theater artists. Mr. Edmondson's work as a theatre director was a unparalleled gift, and Randall Stuart's tale takes us into the process of one of those experiences. The story also reverberates with a devoted pledge to lead us away from the conflagrations of war, to a place of safety where we can embrace an achievable Peace. For in these times, there is no other way.

Something To Be Read

In September of 2024 Mr. Stuart was joined onstage
by his Oregon Shakespeare Festival colleagues: Richard Howard, Kevin Kenerly, Steven Patterson, Jeanne Paulsen, Larry Paulsen, John Pribyl,
Vilma Silva, U. Jonathan Toppo,
​Kathleen Turco-Lyon & Rex Young 
to present this story ​at a large-scale gathering for their mentor: James Edmondson [d. 2025]

​Order the 2024 special edition of SQUIRE on Amazon.com
The Full Version, due in early 2026 includes a section for young actors of Shakespeare,
​and an expanded story about the unusual English historian John Hardyng.