Luna Stage will present the
World Premiere of Zachary Elkind’s new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II
Oct 20-Nov 13 on the MainStage. Streamlined to a fleet 90 minutes, the
play features four actors playing 16 roles, and highlights the humor
and urgency of this taut, intimate, heartbreakingly political tragedy.
Elkind was inspired by the
timely resonances, as well as the humor and poetry, of this
seldom-produced classic. “Shakespeare's thrilling, complex language
cuts right to the questions we're asking ourselves today,” Elkind said.
“If power is concentrated in one person, is the exercise of that power
fundamentally unjust and arbitrary? And if being in power makes a
person unable to realize even their own humanity, how can anyone hope
to be a ‘good’ king?”
“Living in a fraught political
time, with an unsecured succession and the ever-present threat of violent
insurrection or civil war, Shakespeare wrote a play that daringly
considers whether any structured, hierarchical form of power can be
legitimate,” Elkind continued.
The role of Richard II will be
played by Luna veteran Giuliana Carr, previously seen in the title role
of Hannah Arendt aka Mrs. Stern in 2019’s Mrs. Stern Wanders the
Prussian State Library. Carr will also play the characters
of Willoughby, Second Gardener, and Duchess of York.
Nathan Darrow (Netflix’s House of
Cards) will play Bolingbroke, Green, Ross and Gardener,
Darin F. Earl II (Luna’s The Giant Void In My Soul)
plays John of Gaunt, Bagot, Duke of York, and Hotspur and Gabby
Policano (Shakespeare veteran and three-time Nuyorican Poets Cafe slam
winner) rounds out the company as Mowbray, Aumerle, Bushy, and
Northumberland.
Performances are Thursdays at
7:30, Fridays and Saturdays at 8, and Sundays at 3 beginning Oct 20 and
running through Nov 13. A limited number of Opening Night and gala
tickets are available for Oct 22.
Ticket price suggestions range
from $10-$80. As part of our commitment to equity and access, all Luna
Stage programs are Pay-What-You-Choose. This means that for any Luna
Stage performance, class, summer camp or special event, participants
can choose a price that feels comfortable. There are no forms, no
qualifications, no questions. Everyone gets the same great seats, the
same special programs, the same theatre magic! Tickets are available at
www.lunastage.org/richard
COVID Safety at Luna: Luna Stage is committed to the
safe resumption of in-person live performance. The theatre is equipped
with state-of-the-art air purification systems including MERV-11
filtration throughout the building and MERV-18 freestanding
purification units. All staff and artists are fully vaccinated, and
test weekly as mandated by Actors Equity. Masking at Luna Stage is
optional. To ensure everyone’s comfort, the theatre offers a fully
masked seating section for those who wish it.
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