Presented at the Pearl Theater at City Center, this performance of Shakespeare’s classic Richard II was riveting and delightful. Characters so well performed, one easily believed these were the genuine articles and not mere actors upon a stage. Credit has to be given to each actor for putting on such a marvelous performance that seemed so natural, but also to the Director, J.R. Sullivan, whom put this ensemble together. I was quite astonished when I read the notes, and saw that a handful of actors would be playing over 30 characters, which to me is quite a feat, and one which they pulled off without the slightest hitch, surely I couldn’t remember that many lines for that many characters. But I have to say for this being my first live performance of a Shakespearean work, I was mighty impressed and gave a cheery applause at the end.
I wont try to come across as an expert of Shakespeare’s works, or of the stage, but I know when a performance is good and the characters come off as fluid and believable, and this was the case when I saw this last Friday. Upon first entering to get to my seat I noticed how small the stage was, but the simplicity of it worked as I was not distracted and gave all my focus on the characters themselves. The costumes were of most interest as the art director mixed the classic look of the time using modern materials and garments, in fact seeing the character Henry wearing a shawl over what seemed like a leather jacket worked pretty well. And even though I couldn’t dismiss jeans and sweaters, the overall treatment still seemed to fit the era the characters belonged in.
Sean McNall as Richard II was an interesting choice as he has a remarkable voice which really doesn’t seem to be of his own, yet it is befitting of a king, very haughty. Grant Goodman who played Henry Bolingbroke had the vest vocals throughout the performance, very crisp, clear, and voluminous without being overbearing which made it easy to hear all his words clearly. Most of the other performers played several characters which threw me off for a second here and there as the story progressed but not too much to quickly catch onto. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience and one that I wont forget anytime soon, plus it’s given me the incentive to start reading all of Shakespeare’s other works, but that will remain to be seen. I am glad I was given the privilege to see this play, even more so with the nice staff who greeted and treated me pretty well, its nice to not be shuffled in and out of a show.
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