If you’re looking for a way to spend your Friday night, the Dallas Theater Center is performing William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theater, with discounted tickets for SMU students, faculty and staff.

SMU theater majors Micah Figueroa and Sean O’Connor are a few of the actors you can expect to see on stage, along with many veteran actors of the DTC Company.

The production is set during the life of King Henry IV of England, and the smell of leather and clinking of armor spreads throughout the theater.

Director Kevin Moriarty said in a talk back after a preview performance, “We originally thought we would produce this in a modern setting, but realized that it might work better in the correct period, but we did keep certain modern elements.”

Despite its 15th century setting, the show, which is in previews right now, is an unexpected Shakespeare experience.  

The actors bound up and down a set constructed of wooden beams throughout the show and periodically ask audience members to hold props or scoot over so that they may sit next to them during their scenes.

“The show is well worth the price of a ticket because the audience is almost completely consumed by the world we have created.” Figueroa said. “The set has no boundaries and there are few if no places for the audience to hide.”

Audience members can expect to see a range of different things during the show’s 150 minute run time.

It isn’t a Shakespeare play without romantic scenes, but there are also giant battle sequences as well as some great comedy,” O’Connor said.

 “People can come expecting to see lots of drinking, thieving, sword fighting, jokes and tears,” Figueroa said. “We have it all.”

“Henry IV” opens Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.dallastheatercenter.org or by phone at 214-880-0202.