The Queens Players Stage Punk Rock RICHARD III, Now thru 3/15

After critically acclaimed productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth, the Queens Players return to the Secret Theatre with a hardcore, punk rock, in-your-face version of William Shakespeare's Richard III.

Director Alberto Bonilla's (Queen Players' Twelfth Night, The Three Sisters, Servant of Two Masters, Macbeth) vision for this Richard III sets our tale in London circa the 1980's punk music industry. Raw, primal punk rockers of the night use any means necessary to gain control over their empire. Richard (played by Richard Mazda) is an aging punk rocker who is trying to stop the inevitable change within the music industry. The audience will be transported back to a time and a place of a real punk club known as the ROXY. A live punk band on stage will be incorporating music from The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Ramones and many more punk bands of the era. This is Richard III like you have never seen or heard it before. Costumed by acclaimed designer Sue Waller, from Project Runway, the look and feel onstage will have all the drama, passion, sex, and music of the punk scene, mixed with Shakespeare's brilliant text... it's the recipe for one hell of a show.

Featuring: Richard Mazda, Ralph Petrarca*, Alexander Stine, Peter Collier, Samantha Morrice, Emilyn Kowaleski, Deanna Gibson*, Benjamin Russell, Brittany Brook, R. Alex Murray, Andrew Justin Smith, Polly McKie, Al Foote III, Eric Orman, Ryan Halsaver, Sandra Karas*, Christopher Coffey, John Cormier, and Tyler Palma

Creative Team: Produced By Richard Mazda for The Queens Players Producer: Margaret Bortner. Fight Choreographer: Alberto Bonilla. Director: Alberto Bonilla. Assistant Director: Bloo Rodriguez. Stage Manager: Rosie Kolbo. Assistant Stage Manager: Nissy Aya Makeup Design: Emily Lambert. Lighting Design: Dan Jobbins. Scenic Design/Scenic Painter: Sandy Yaklin Costume Design: Sue Waller. Graphic Designer: Luba Lukova. Properties Design: Anna Grace. Casting Director: Holly Buczek, HDBcasting.com.

*These actors appear courtesy of the Actor's Equity Association. Richard III is an approved Actor's Equity Performance.

The show runs today, Feb. 27th - Mar. 15th, 2014. Performances play Thursday through Saturday @ 8pm; Sunday, 3/2 @ 7pm & Sunday, 3/9, @ 3pm at The Secret Theatre, 4402 23rd St. (at 23 St. and 44th Avenue) LIC, NY 11101 DIRECTIONS: E, M, G and 7 trains to Court Square. Tickets $18. Purchase at www.secrettheatre.com or call 718.392.0722.

Photo Credit: Justin Chauncey