A Shakespearean showcase A Shakespearean showcase (June 13, 2003)

Menlo Players mount one of the finest local productions of 'King Richard'

by Jeanie Forte

I was riveted. I was disgusted. I laughed at bumbling fools and winced at grisly murder.

Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of King Richard III" runs the gamut of emotion for the audience, and the production mounted by Menlo Players Guild winningly charges through it all with flair and courage.

This memorable production is part of the final round of plays in the MPG season, which they call Totally Free Theatre -- patrons are encouraged to donate whatever they deem appropriate only after the performance. For "Richard III," the donations should be generous indeed -- this is a crowd-pleaser, a very clear and absorbing rendering of a difficult play. I was impressed with the epic feel of the staging and the overall quality of the acting. Mostly, I thoroughly enjoyed Bruce W. De Les Dernier's portrayal of Richard.

By any account, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was not a nice guy. Shakespeare follows many chroniclers before him in portraying Richard as a deformed, bitter and wholly evil despot who stopped at nothing in his ambitious quest for the throne. Historically inaccurate -- he was neither deformed nor unremittingly evil, and was a relatively good governor -- but more exciting for tragedy. Elizabethans loved seeing history on stage, and Shakespeare was happy to oblige -- "Richard III" was his first big success, securing his future popularity.

But Shakespeare's Richard is a complex villain, addressing the audience as if we are his partners in crime. He's charming, wickedly humorous, and potentially a great leader -- he just chooses to kill anyone who is inconveniently in his way.

The play also reflects the Elizabethan obsession with the supernatural -- curses, dreams and omens abound. Almost every lead character has a foreboding dream or vision, and the penultimate scene involves numerous apparitions foretelling Richard's fate. Most prophetic is the curse that King Edward (brother of Richard) predicts will befall his family after the murder of their other brother, Clarence, which eerily comes to pass before our eyes as Richard rampages through his family ties, silencing all foes and rival contenders. The depth of his greedy ambition sounds a disturbingly relevant note for our own time.

De Les Dernier is truly a phenomenon as Richard. His characterization of the grasping, plotting would-be king is by turns bold, subtle, laced with leering humor and horrifying. He limps across stage languidly, flexing his power through his gift of persuasion, cajoling and dissembling with equal relish. He casually orders up murders from his eager henchmen, and then leaps to threaten a foe into submission. His manic temperament is perfectly realized and fascinating to watch; De Les Dernier seems to breathe Richard from the inside out, as if he has lived to play this role.

The performance also benefits from many strong actors in the secondary male leads. Mark Pickens creates an avid Buckingham, Richard's apt pupil in the machinations of ambition, who discovers too late that Richard feels no loyalty to his pupils or compulsion to keep his word. Morgan Cox is a delightfully bloodthirsty Tyrrell, whose lip curl says it all. Other standouts include Jim Asea as the long-suffering Lord Stanley, a wonderful Allan Loebs as Clarence, and Todd Wright as a clueless Hastings, who only sees the light in the final moments of betrayal.

I found the two lead women -- Kimberly Dawn Wood as Anne, the widow of Edward, Prince of Wales, who marries Richard; and Sandra Weingart as Queen Elizabeth -- slightly less appealing. Both actresses obviously have the mettle for the roles, but through misdirection or lack of direction, they fall into the trap of melodrama. It takes a finer reading to see other possibilities for these characters, so that they are less one-dimensional. Even so, their portrayals are clear and strong enough to do the context justice. I'd like to see them in other productions that make better use of their talents.

In fact, the knowledge that most of these actors are also in the other two plays of the Totally Free Theatre trio -- "The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Adventures of Cyrano!" -- made me want to see those shows, just to see these fine actors in other roles. For example, I'm betting Cox is a fabulously funny Grumio (Petruchio's delightfully wacky servant) in "Shrew." A lithe and lively young man with a wonderfully expressive face, Cox, in "Richard III," is the epitome of a hit man who loves his job.

A few minor technical glitches in lighting and set changes are sure to be corrected by ensuing performances. The spare set and attractive costumes created a consistent style for the production, suggesting medieval times. The broad stage effectively evoked different locations and the battlefield. Kudos to the fight choreographers for a nicely satisfying battle scene that even moved audience members to cheering.

The production adds up to excellent theatre, with one of the finest Richards ever to play a local stage. One caveat: It was really cold. Dress warm and avail yourself of the bounty of blankets and hot beverages at the concessions stand. Lastly, stay until the end, as I willingly did for a fast-paced three hours. See it through to the final battle, and you will be richly rewarded.

What: The Tragedy of King Richard III," presented by the Menlo Players Guild. The production is part of the 5th Annual Burgess Shakespeare Festival, which runs through June 29.

Where: Mid-Peninsula High School, 1340 Willow Road, Menlo Park.

When: Sunday at 8 p.m. and June 28 at 8 p.m. Seating begins at 7:30 p.m.

Cost: Admission is free; patrons are encouraged to donate whatever they deem appropriate only after the performance.

Info: Call (650) 322-3261 or visit www.menloplayersguild.com
"The Taming of the Shrew" will be presented tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. Additional performances are scheduled for June 20 and 29 at 8 p.m. "The Adventures of Cyrano!" will be presented June 21-22 and June 27 at 8 p.m. All performances in the Burgess Shakespeare Festival will take place at Mid-Peninsula High School in Menlo Park.