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A Richard II who's ready for his closeup

There's something about Quintessence Theatre Group's production of Richard II that calls to mind The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the downfall of its alien king, Frank N. Furter.

James-Patrick Davis is Richard II, with Ashton Cater (left) as Baggot and Alexander Harvey as Bushy in "Richard II," directed by Alexander Burns with an all-male cast.
James-Patrick Davis is Richard II, with Ashton Cater (left) as Baggot and Alexander Harvey as Bushy in "Richard II," directed by Alexander Burns with an all-male cast.Read more

There's something about Quintessence Theatre Group's production of Richard II that calls to mind The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the downfall of its alien king, Frank N. Furter. Stay with me here. It's not the costumes or spare set, but Alexander Burns' direction, which picks sides, favoring Richard as sexy, bratty, and decadent, and poking at Bolingbroke (the future Henry IV) for his humorlessness and austerity. It's hubris vs. hubris, but Richard's hubris has style, and while it ultimately loses him both the crown and his life, he exits looking and sounding better than his buttoned-up rival.

Richard II - followed by Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) and Henry V - marks the first chapter in Shakespeare's Henriad, the second set of histories that serve as a prequel to his (earlier written, later chronologically) Henrys and Richard III. But it's less frequently produced, which is a shame, because it highlights all of the Bard's best qualities: his poetry, humor, and masterly handling of tragedy, as well as his knack for diplomacy.

Burns' direction is uneven. Lesser characters are lost in the shuffle, and even stage veteran Stephen Novelli, in dual roles as Bolingbroke's father, John of Gaunt, and a gardener the queen overhears discussing Richard's fall from the people's good graces, doesn't give full, separate characterizations of both. However, Burns offers James-Patrick Davis' Richard a star turn, and Davis wears it like an ermine robe. He dismisses Gaunt's death with a solemn prayer, followed by a flick of his hand, roll of his eyes, and arch "So much for that." When Bolingbroke (Lee Cortopassi, as a fine, severe counterpoint to Davis) arrives to collect his inheritance and the crown, Davis, perched atop scaffolding, delivers a gorgeous adieu to all his privileges, and announces, "Down, down I come," like Norma Desmond (or Tim Curry's Frank) descending for a final bow.

There's also something to Burns' all-male casting (Richard II is performed in repertory with As You Like It). Richard's and Bolingbroke's courts are boys' clubs, each favoring different toys. Richard prefers expensive luxuries; Bolingbroke develops a taste for power and strength. The few women among them are mere casualties of the men's follies, one reduced to comic relief while begging for her son's life, while the other, the queen, must flee the country.

This production would be better served by more attention to its set (no designer is credited) - that simple scaffold in front of a floor-to-ceiling white screen. Lighting (designed by Joseph Glodek) remains mostly stark white, except for an occasional dramatic color change as punctuation, and Jane Casanave's contemporary costumes topped by the occasional royal cloak don't truly serve its sensibilities. But when Davis is onstage, whether he's the early party-boy king or later fey wastrel reflecting on his doom, he's the set's best dressing and light source anyway.

THEATER REVIEW

Richard II

Through Nov. 8 at Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave.

Tickets: $15-$34.

Information: 215-987-4450 or www.QuintessenceTheatre.org

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