Richard
II
By
William Shakespeare
Directed by Paul Mullins
Critical
Reviews
Cast
members on the set of RICHARD II. Photo © Gerry Goodstein.
From Variety
by Robert Daniels
At midsummer the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey is offering
a robust production of the Bard's "Richard II."
Director Paul Mullins, who put admirable new polish to "King
John" last summer, has staged an immensely creative and
palatable staging of the saga of the childishly corrupt, ineffectual
king.
David Conrad's vain, greedy Richard avoids the usual foppish
hysteria. His irresponsible king is never malevolent, just
foolishly derelict. Persuasively balancing despair and self-pity,
his reflective "mirror" scene and subsequent confinement
in prison create a telling and touching portrait. His death
is staged with a vivid thrust of a blade, provoking an audible
audience gasp.
The steely usurper Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) of Patrick
Boll is a figure of regal authority, acted with heroic presence
and a focused measure of calculating purpose. The passing
of the crown to Henry is staged with a cunning afterthought,
as Richard momentarily grabs it back for one final grasp before
placing it on his successor's head.
Geddeth Smith is John of Gaunt. His dying paean to "this
England" and its happy breed is one of the Bard's most
rousing, poetic elegies. Smith invests it with a frailty that
gains in strength and patriotic fervor.
The impassioned plea for her plotting son's pardon by the
Duchess of York is played by Cynthia Mace with uncommon comic
zeal. She is ably supported by the blustery Duke of York of
Davis Manis.
Director Mullins has an eye for tableau, often using a grand
staircase as a sprawling canvas to frame his actors in a picturesque
manner. The device works well, plus Mullins keeps the pace
brisk, an apt choice for a drama short on action.
A spare but mighty set design is dominated by a wide staircase
and by a large portrait of the deposed king. Hugh Hanson's
costumes, never gaudy or ornate, boast a courtly elegance.
Fragmentary musical accompaniment accents scene changes effectively.
Excerpted from
the Princeton Packet by Stuart Duncan
A stunning production
of the work is on view at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
on the campus of Drew University in Madison. It is directed
by Paul Mullins, who last summer stunned theater circles with
his staging of King John, long held as not only Shakespeare's
most inferior play, but virtually unproduceable. Richard II
has an unusually strong company, many making debuts in Madison,
and is a must-see for anyone with even the slightest interest
in British history.
From the Montclair
Times by Thom Molyneaux
Thankfully this
stellar theater...gives us a first-rate production of, what
I think may be one of Shakespeare's most fascinating plays.
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