Dec. 11--For most, the holidays are a time of joy in which we re-connect and bond with loved ones. The holidays also remind some of us why we only spend one day a year with our mothers, brothers and sisters with their passive favoritism, staunch political views, painful noogie techniques and uneventful on-the-job stories that drag on and on and on.

Even in the middle ages, in days of kings, queens and wars won by sword, family gatherings weren't much different. Robidoux Resident Theatre's upcoming production of "The Lion in Winter" sets out to prove this point.

"We all have to go to these family functions this time of year and wonder how we get messed up with these people we call family, and this group makes you feel so much better about your family because no one is more dysfunctional than they are," says play director and RRT business manager Jeff Haney.

Set on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of 1183, "The Lion in Winter" follows King Henry II, Queen Eleanor and their three sons, who are vying for the privilege of being named heir to the English throne. And while the kindred battle for the kingdom looms, Henry's affection for his mistress grows.

As if the growing tension wasn't enough, every family member contributes to the drama with their imperfections. Henry flies by the seat of his pants. Eleanor is greatly manipulative. Richard the Lionheart is a ticking time bomb. Jeffrey is cold and scheming. And John is the spoiled brat of the bunch.

The seven-person cast of Tad Hopkins, Joyce Stohr, Kenna Hall, Rylan Swank, Jeff Landers, Jonathan McClain and Jeremy White appears ready and willing to take on the double-crossing, alliance-shifting roles.

"It's a really nice role in my case for an older woman. Not aged, just older," laughs Stohr, who plays Eleanor. "I thought it was a real bounty to tackle something with that range of emotion."

Henry and Eleanor's relationship anchors the play, largely due to the dynamic between the two vastly different characters.

At 50 years old, Henry knows death is near in his day and age. Therefore, he acts with spontaneity and emotion.

"My character has a great deal of charm, but he's also very dishonest, so I do feel there's a lot to like about him, but equally as much to dislike," says Tad Hopkins, who plays Henry.

Meanwhile, Eleanor is a strong and loving woman who once stole the heart of Henry, a man 11 years her junior.

"Even in 1183, she was one of the first cougars," Haney laughs.

After being imprisoned for 10 years, however, Henry has grown fond of his mistress Alais, and now Eleanor fears she is the other woman. Hmm... this almost sounds like an episode of "Sex and the City."

"Sex and power is a fascinating subject," Haney says. "Sex drives all of us, even the most powerful people in the world are driven by it. You know, we could bring up Tiger (Woods) right now. It defines us."

Although the play uses actual historical figures as characters, the drama and dialogue are fictitious and, more importantly, modern. The play was written in the mid-1960s by James Goldman and adapted for a film starring Katharine Hepburn and Peter O' Toole in 1968. So no Old English here. Just present-day wit and drama.

"There's so much about this play that's clever and it asks the audience to think as well as feel," Stohr says. "For people who like clever, witty pieces, this is going to be something they will find a real treat."

"The Lion in Winter" also examines war and finds that it is often the emotional leaders more than political policy that dictate it.

"There are lines in the play where you can tell these kings are just barbarians," Hopkins says.

While the play wavers between drama, intrigue and humor, one thing always remains the same: The egos of the characters. Haney says that is what has made "The Lion in Winter" such a fascinating classic.

"People can't possibly say those things to each other and do those things to each other. It's a big play with big characters," Haney says. "And that's why I wanted the set to be so big. I wanted 20-foot columns. Everything's big because there's nothing small about them."