Richard III at John Cranford Adams Playhouse, Hofstra University

Hofstra's Shakespeare Festival celebrates 70 years with a production of Richard III performed on the University's stunning Globe Stage replica, March 1-10, 2019. Performances take place at the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. Hofstra's Globe Stage is considered the most authentic recreation of Shakespeare's original stage in the U.S.

This year's Shakespeare Festival also includes What Fools! a one-hour adaptation of Midsummer Nights Dream, suitable for young audiences and a concert of early music by the Hofstra Collegium Musicum.

Richard III was last performed at Hofstra in 1972. Believed to be one of Shakespeare's earlier plays, the plot revolves around the physically deformed, evil, and manipulative king, who is relentless in his ascent to the throne.Director Jean Dobie Giebel found inspiration in recent discoveries about the ruthless monarch. "The remains of Richard III were discovered buried under a carpark in 2012. This led to a number investigations into the real Richard, including a PBS documentary, Resurrecting Richard III, and the series Secrets of the Dead which explores his disability, analyzes his DNA, and sheds light on some of the myths about the real man behind the character in Shakespeare's play," she said. "Using that information and other articles and documentaries that try to uncover the truth about Richard, I hope to present a character that is in some ways more human, and therefore perhaps more frightening, because he has the ability to draw the audience into his machinations."

This production features fight choreography by Associate Professor Robert Westley, who was part of the creative teams for Broadway's A Bronx Tale and Hand to God. Also featured is lighting design by Brian Canese and original music by Arthur Solari, who has been a frequent collaborator with famed choreographer Martha Clarke.

Tickets for Richard III and What Fools! and the Hofstra Collegium concert are $10, $8 for senior citizens. Members of the Hofstra community receive two free tickets upon presentation of a current HofstraCard. For tickets and information call the Hofstra Box Office at 516-463-6644, or purchase tickets online. If seats are still available on the day of performance, tickets will be sold at the door starting 90 minutes prior to show time at the theater box office window. (Please note, free tickets for Hofstra community members cannot be reserved online. They may be picked up at the Box Office.)