PCPA to Stage RICHARD III, 4/21-5/8

Richard III, William Shakespeare's stunning portrait of Machiavellian genius and the murderous quest for absolute power, comes alive on PCPA's stage April 21 through May 8. In this original game of thrones we are engaged by a cunning, charismatic, and heartless tyrant who will stop at nothing to secure England's crown.

England's civil Wars of the Roses is replaced by a period of promised peace, but the scheming Richard, Duke of Gloucester, plans to take the throne following the death of his newly crowned brother, Edward IV, by seduction, betrayal, or any means necessary. Twisted inside and out by bitter discontent and determined to remove any impediment to the crown, Richard hurtles down a path of moral demise and military destruction, setting the stage for a new hero to rescue England and a new house to reign.

Alumna Robynn Rodriguez returns to direct this Shakespearean tragic-history play. The production team also includes Fight Choreographer Mark Booher, Scenic Designer Jason Bolen, Costume Designer Eddy L. Barrows, Lighting Designer Jennifer 'Z' Zornow, Sound Designer Andrew Mark Wilhelm, and Stage Manager Ellen Beltramo.

The cast features resident artists Andrew Philpot* as Richard III, Mark Booher as Duke of Clarence, Erik Stein* as Edward IV, Matt Koenig as Ghost of Henry V and Earl of Richmond, Polly Firestone Walker as Duchess of York, Elizabeth Stuart* as Queen Elizabeth, Kitty Balay* as Queen Margaret, Karin Hendricks as Lady Anne, George Walker as Duke of Buckingham, Brad Carroll as Sir Robert Brackenbury, and Don Stewart* as Ghost of Henry IV and Stanley, Earl of Derby.

The infusion of humor is not uncommon in a Shakespeare tragedy. In this play, Richard shares with the audience one side of his personality, while portraying a very different persona in and among his realm. The dichotomy of charismatic villain provides much of the wit and levity Shakespeare created for this character - while also displaying his calculating intellect - in spite of the grim plot. And, it is because of this rich personality that audiences fall in love with Richard III even as he is at his most conniving manipulative self.