As the New York Classical Theater describes a new production of Shakespeare’s tragedy about the monstrous depraved King Plantagenet, the idea of an “all-female, gender-fluid, disabled-first” production is intriguing. intriguing. Will the protagonist, who loves to “despise his own deformity,” remind us of how much society cares about women’s looks? Will the Duke of Gloucester be reimagined as an assassin with a bloody heart, like Killing Eve’s bloody-hearted Villanelle? Will they be compelled to consider discrimination against the disabled at court? The answer is none of the above, as realized in this risk-afraid adaptation from director Steven Birdman.
This “Richard III” The play, which runs in a New York park until July 9, has a feint of novelty but little originality. All of the actors live out their character’s gender as originally conceived. As noted in press material, the title role is played by Delaney Feener, a strong actor with a “limb difference.” However, with his shortened right arm hidden under a cloak, Feener’s Richard is repeatedly compared to “boar”, “bottle spider”, “dirty bundled toad”, or other characters. Not immediately recognizable as one of the hunks of the beast. On careful consideration, it might be a valid choice, but even after Richard reveals his shortened arm to us and says he’s “determined to prove he’s a villain” We get little insight into his psychology. It is unclear whether the line is a claim of proud will or the lamentation of a victim.
While it is understandable that certain scenes have been shortened or deleted (which is a requirement for the compressed version of the film, which is over two hours long), excluding Queen Margaret from a production starring a female or gender-nonconforming actor is That is unforgivable. Though often seen as a peripheral figure to her, she serves as the linchpin of the Wars of the Roses, appears in all of Shakespeare’s first series of historical plays, and her curses have prophetic powers. Along with Queen Elizabeth (the regal Kristen Calgaro) and the Duchess of York (Pamela Sabbeau), Margaret traditionally forms a trinity of grieving women, effectively a reminder of the three dooms or wraths .
This transportable adaptation requires the audience to pick up blankets and folding chairs on their own and walk to different sections of the park, which also doesn’t make it the most accessible production. Sometimes the change in circumstances turns out to be a dramatic coincidence, as when a tree provides a convenient cover for one of the many beheadings, but more often it disrupts the momentum of the lawsuit. Let We should be relieved that his reign of terror is over when Richard is finally freed from power and swallowed by the darkness of night. But we are not. The problem with this “Richard III” is that the villain isn’t a “boar”, it’s boring.
Richard III
Through July 9th at various parks in New York City. nyclassical.org. Running time: 2 hours.
This review is supported by Critical Minded, an effort to invest in the work of cultural critics from historically underrepresented backgrounds.
