No Beast So Fierce
Adapted by Max Truax
From Shakespeare’s Richard III
DCASE Storefront, 66 E. Randolph (map)
thru Nov 8 | tix: FREE | more info
Interesting concepts sunk by cloudy convictions
Oracle Theatre presents
No Beast So Fierce
Review by Clint May
There’s much to unpack in Max Truax’s choice of gender swapping Shakespeare’s most Machiavellian character. Shakespeare was writing for an audience well into an Elizabethan rule, and the role of female political agency in the play—especially in relation to Richard III himself—is the subject of many a feminist essay. Since Shakespeare played with history, motives and timelines to create a work of propaganda (for or against the Tudors is a matter of debate), it seems appropriate, then, that Truax
As the second longest play after Hamlet, Richard III is rarely performed unedited, and Beast winnows the parts and pieces to a brisk 90 minutes (“Better to be brief, sir, than tedious”). It’s a dizzying reduction whose viewing—for better or worse—benefits from a working knowledge of the source. At such breathless speed the language and motives are difficult to suss out if you don’t know who the major players are or their original motives. Oracle’s cast prounces (and sometimes inelegantly pounces) on the language, but the flaw at the center is Katherine Keberlein as Richard herself. This comes as a surprise from the recent Jeff award winner for the Truax directed The Mother. Her performance lacks the terrifying teeth of a true malefactor that would have made Truax’s endeavor feel essential instead of mechanical. Her supporting cast is able enough in their grand scheme, but true to the old adage, a show like this is only as good as the villain.
There’s a lot of high style on display with elegant modern dance inspired movements abstracting the violence occasionally punctuated with some rather brilliant bloody effects. Joanna Iwanicka’s Regency-inspired drawing room and its deposed series of patriarchal portraits combines with Jeremy Clark’s rotoscopic projections (foreshadowing the most famous line) while Rachel Levy’s evocative lights create a darkly moody atmosphere. Costumes by Joan Pritchard are especially smart, clothing the ‘naked villainy’ in a riding outfit that is reminiscent of an S&M mistress. Henry VIII’s literal eavesdroppers are mimicked by an inventive use of the DCASE space as various players prowl the upper areas. Round out the totality with Jonathan Guillen ’s chilly background musical arrangements and it’s almost enough to make up for the show’s faults.
Truax’s mash up feels ultimately like a great concept in search of a solid anchor. What ‘touch of pity’ we might have for Glouchester’s new matriarchal motives (she tries to justify her murderous actions as done to elevate the daughters) is muddled. Is Truax making an anti-hero advancing the cause of female power or is this just a hollow justification on a quest for power? Both director and star seem uncertain what angle to pitch, so the results are ultimately bloodless and devoid of nuance.
Rating: ★★½
No Beast So Fierce continues through November 8th at DCASE Storefront Theater, 66 E. Randolph (map), with performances Thursdays-Saturdays 7:30pm; Sundays 2pm. Tickets are free, but reservations are recommended. More info at PublicAccessTheatre.org. (Running time: 90 minutes without intermission)
Photos by Joe Mazza, Brave Lux
artists
cast
Katherine Keberlein (Richard Gloucester), Erica Bittner (Queen Elizabeth), Mickey O’Sullivan (Buckingham), John Arthur Lewis* (King Edward, Brackenbury, Richmond), Colin Morgan (Clarence, Prince Edward, Catesby), Mike Steele (Rivers, Oxford), Jeremy Trager (Hastings, Herbert), Brian Hurst* (The Mayor), Jorge Bolaños (understudy)
behind the scenes
Max Truax (director, adaptor, artistic director), Jonathan Guillen (original music), Nicholas Tonozzi (choral arrangements), Joanna Iwanicka (scenic design), Jeremy Clark (projection design), Joan Pritchard (costume design), Rachel Levy (lighting design), Steve Labedz (sound design), Thomas Wynne (makeup design), Lindsay Rose Kane (movement director, casting director), Alicia Hynes (props and blood effect), Lauren Yarbrough (production manager), Deirdre Connelly (stage manager), Justin Snyder (technical director), Jamie Bragg (assistant director), Guo “Pahsa” Yuyi (master electrician), Ben Fuchsen (executive producer), Jeremy Clark (managing director), Brad Jayhan-Little (executive director), Evelyn DeHais (graphic design), Joe Mazza, Brave Lux (photos)
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