My Kingdom For A String . . .
Equity Showcase (July 13 - July 29)
review by Louis Lopardi . . July 23, 2001
The evening began with a devastatingly funny puppet show, presented in a glib, artless manner that worked beautifully. It managed to present in just a few minutes seemingly the entire War of the Roses, as endless spawn of Lancaster or York happily slaughtered each other. The marionette stagings, by Vit Horejs, became an integral part of the production, working sometimes better than others: It seemed redundant to have a puppet beheaded while it's corresponding live actor was being executed; but then in Richard's nightmare scene, the puppets added a delightfully macarbre touch as all Richard's dead victims visited his dream, their corresponding puppets cavorting upon his sleeping body. Wonderful.
This Richard III was an explainer. Paul Nicholas wisely played him as more cerebral, less hot tempered Richard. He managed to convey a sexiness that at least intrigued if not seduced his retinue. His only serious fault was a tendency to shout with head voice alone during emotional peaks. When he learns to fully support the voice his talent will become formidable. Josh Blumenfeld presented a strong and agile Buckingham, with an athletic command of the language, and David Bachrach's Hastings was similarly at home with a full vocal control. David Erick Austin played Richmond with grace, and did the excellent fight choreography.
This was a production dominated by marvelous women. Sharita Storm Sage gave an affecting rendition of Lady Anne. Irma St. Paule possessed the stage for every second she was on it as the matronly Queen Margaret. Mary Elizabeth MiCari was a commanding Queen Elizabeth. Her 'Pity, you ancient stones,' speech outside the tower walls was a powerhouse. At other times her powerful presence was diluted by being too constantly in motion. And one of the high points of the evening was Sheila Mart's Duchess of York Act-4 speech to Richard summing his life ('Bloody thou art...'); her intonation of the word 'treacherous' will forever ring in my memory.
The other high point was the murder of Clarence - who was played with relish and flair by Derek Devareaux. The scene drew the only internal applause of the evening. The aforementioned Duchess' scene nearly did, but the audience, failed to rally - doubtlessly aenesthetized by a clanking air conditioner, the heat in general, and a repetitive monotonous sound design that didn't know when to stop.
Overall, this was a well-coached ensemble, much to director Jay Michaels' credit. The language was there - no small achievement with American actors. Mispronunciations were very rare (as in "By my troth, my lord" - troth should rhyme with 'oath') And the pacing of the entire play was perfect. No doubt, it helped that this was also Jay Michaels' excellent adaptation. He managed to get the play down to under two hours. This was not a Richard III for those new to Shakespeare, but it serves admirably as an introduction to the play itself. One abbreviating method the director used was a kind of telescoping of scenes by overlapping the contiguous speeches. While sometimes distracting, the technique lent an exhilaration to the battle scenes by getting us into the thick of it quickly. A daring choice that worked in the end.
Costuming was in a convincing Renaissance style, and Set design consisted of vertical draperies which made the claustrophobic space even more so, - appropriate for this play. (designers Margo La Zaro & Elizabeth MiCari). Also featuring Travis Taylor, Robert F. Saunders, Andrew Liebowitz, Andrew Westney, Michael DiAntoni and Matthew Klein.
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