Preeminence 2.0 — Theatre @ Boston Court's 'R II'

Now THIS is an #adaptation 2 #remember!

Brilliantly envisioned and executed by director Jessica Kubzansky, RII [The Life and Death of King Richard the Second] at @BostonCourt is a powerfully innovative, undeniably successful renovation of Shakespeare's classic text.

Not to say the themes and lessons of a 400 year old story, about 600 year old British royalty, aren't timeless. What could be timelier than in-fighting, blood-thirsty, self-proclaimed royalty bankrupting their nation and stealing inheritances to fund futile wars? However, to make the Bard's dense theatrical poetry more "relevant," more accessible, to give it a Gen-Tech twist... that requires much more than clever costuming and production design. Oh yes, RII has that, and so much more to offer audiences, especially those seeking Will's lesser-known words played by great actors wearing something other than tights and doublets.

The three-actor, non-traditional, non-linear telling begins with King Richard II (an excellent John Sloan) locked in The Tower, awaiting execution by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke. Richard cries out, lamenting his fate, remembering his life's events which then play out as a morose dream, a stream of flashbacks from the deposed's troubled consciousness.

Richard's erratic dreamworld is populated by over a dozen other characters, expertly played by the mesmerizing duo of Paige Lindsey White and Jim Ortlieb. The subtle differences they bring to each of their 6+ personae make the illusion work.

Beautifully lit by Jeremy Pivnick, the minimal yet striking stage design by Kaitlyn Pietras, with its metal platforms, grates, and floating lance-like pylons, invokes the foreboding, rough hewn construction of the bellicose age. As does the understated military costuming by Jenny Foldenauer. Wicked cool projections, also by Pietras, of Shakespeare's words — blasting across the scrim then fading into nothingness the moment they are spoken — illustrates the simultaneously ethereal and permanent nature of today's technological communication. Digital clouds, parapets, and maps molded from grayscale Matrix font complete the beauty of Pietras's hybrid 14/21 century look.

Bard fans will be blown away by what Kubzansky and her cast/crew have accomplished. Those who have never liked Shakespeare, or at least never had the privilege of seeing an amazing production of his works, are sure to be won over. #LongLiveTheKing

RII continues at the Theatre @ Boston Court until October 13, 2013. Get your tix here or by calling the box office (626) 683-6883.

LA theater reviews by LA Theater Critic.