Richard III Gets a Columbia Makeover

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe is bringing the tale of everyone's favorite hunchbacked villain to the outdoor stage in its production of Richard III.

For those of you who have been neglecting your Shakespeare for more important things, such as studying or blissfully soaking up the sun on the Low steps, Richard III traces the rise of Richard of Gloucester as he lies, seduces, and murders his way to the English throne. Stopping at nothing to grasp the scepter, he murders relatives, hastily marries widows over their husbands' dead bodies, imprisons the innocent, and even arranges the deaths of two child princes (who also happen to be his nephews). And you thought exams were villainous.

KCST's particular brand of Shakespeare-the only theater experience where you have to follow both the plot and the actors-will transform familiar Columbia buildings into the bard's globe; for as everyone knows, "all the world's a stage." Starting at the Sundial and moving to the Low Steps, the Dodge side steps, Fayerweather, St. Paul's, and then back to central campus for an epic battle scene that takes up the entirety of Low Plaza, audience members must be fleet of foot and sharp of mind to keep up with KCST's dynamic pace.

Director Henry Wiener, CC '06, who you might have seen as the melancholic Dane in KCST's Hamlet last spring, chose not to tie the production to a specific era. Instead, the production will be timeless just like Shakespeare's plays. "Shakespeare is applicable to any time," Wiener said, "it is not necessary to limit it. A king of old is a king in modern day. We focus more on symbolism, themes, and recurring issues." Freedom from the restraint of a certain age serves another purpose as well; it heightens the awareness of Shakespeare's honeyed language and, as Weiner said, allows actors to focus on lines. "Shakespeare is poetry first," he added.

This spring's production incorporates dance, music, and visual art in an unprecedented level in the history of KCST. Musicians with accordions, oboes, cellos, trumpets, flutes, and violas move the audience from place to place, while playing self-composed music that seems to defy classification. Producer Justin Klein, CC '06, attempted to describe the musicality of the drama as "New Orleans-inspired but based on Mozart's Requiem."

This combination of dramatic and musical components heightens the intensity of a particular scene and can even bring out the hidden humor as it does during the famous scene when Richard contemplates his dastardly deeds to the tear-jerking sounds of a violin's swan song. And as Assistant Director Priyanka Choksi, BC '08, said, "It's probably the only time you'll see an oboe, flute, cello, and accordion together."

If you're not intrigued yet, the cast of KCST has more reasons why you should save your Metro fare and immerse yourself in the great theater available on campus. The play appeals to everyone. "Richard III has always been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. It is the story of how a person whom everyone considered a freak rises to absolute power only to tragically fall," Choksi said, expressing her belief that the play is suited for the nefarious youths who secretly revel in the overturning of established order. She also stated that the show, "filled with murder and sex," appeals to the masses, and she did not hesitate to point to the universal draw: "The writing is really good, and it's free!"