Theatre department presents Richard III opening March 5

March 1, 2010February 25, 2020

By Carlos Silva
The Guardsman

(L-R) Igor Ovchinnikov as Sir Robert Brakenbury, speaks to Dewane Spalding, as Richard III, who is standing with Brian Martin, as the Duke of Clarence, at a Feb. 15 rehearsal for the upcoming City College theater department production of Shakespeare's Richard III. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSE BLANCA

William Shakespeare’s Richard III, a brilliant mix of violence and humor, will be opening at the Diego Rivera Theatre next month.

The tragedy, designed and directed by John Wilk, instructor and director in the City College Theatre Department, will be performed on the first and second weekends of March.
Wilk is a fan of the language of Shakespeare as well as the dynamic personalities of his characters.

“His characters are both extreme and beautiful at the same time,” Wilk said.

The two-hour play covers the rise and fall of the Duke of Gloucester, who through deception and political manipulation tries to become King Richard III of England. In the first scene, Richard describes his physical appearance and malevolent ambition.

“Deformed, unfinish’d, sent before my time … And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, to entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain.”

City College student Maria Leigh plays Lady Anne. “Richard is clearly a rotten person but it’s nearly impossible not to like him,” she said.

Richard’s opening monologue is very intense and grabs everyone’s attention. What follows is a tale of murder and betrayal that slowly decays Richard’s mind. In one particularly gripping scene, Richard is visited by the ghosts of all the people he has murdered who curse him and foretell his death.

“The play shows the worst aspects of blind ambition and unchecked greed, a deadly combination that is still with us today,” said City College student Peter Camarda, who plays Lord Stanley. “We learn, from watching, how Richard’s evil overwhelms everyone and everything around him.”

It’s obvious how much passion the actors put into the performance.

“I think the audience can expect to see Richard III performed in a way that fits today’s concerns. The dark and desperate world was created, and now should provoke deep conversation among viewers,” said City College student Merry Gordon, who plays the Duke of York.

I really liked the performance of all the actors and their effort to accomplish their best in every scene.

“This is a rousing and intriguing performance of one of the most famous villains in theatrical literature,” said Wilk.