ORLANDO — For a play depicting the brutal, bloody War of the Roses and the fight for the English crown, Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 3 — The Rise of Richard gets a surprisingly playful production by Orlando Shakes. The fierce swordplay and grim decapitations are there, but so is the dark humor of watching how quickly allegiances start shifting, leading to plenty of vicious backstabbing — and to the rise of Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), one of the cruelest and most ruthless of Shakespeare’s historic figures.
The production, which opened on Friday and continues through Sunday, April 19, is unique for more than just a first-rate cast that delivers some electrifying performances. The play is also notable for its stripped down approach, which is actually one of the most impressive aspects of the show.
What is the the play Henry VI, Part 3?
Henry VI Part 3, believed to have been written in 1591, is set during King Henry VI’s lifetime, and is the third in a historical trilogy about the War of the Roses. Henry VI Part 1 covered the loss of England’s French territories, while Henry VI Part 2 depicted the political challenges leading up to the war. Part 3 focuses on the grim horrors this war brought to England. Moral codes that had been honored for centuries crumble in the face of barbaric acts that ripped families apart. Each betrayal led to a bloodthirsty desire for revenge. As the play dramatically emphasizes, for a highly civilized nation such as England, suddenly nobody was safe from the explosive violence.
All the while, Richard slyly watches this chaos unfold, eagerly awaiting his opportunity to seize the moment and come out triumphant.
If it sounds like the kind of play that calls out for elaborate sets, rousing music and dramatic lighting effects, the Shakes approached in a radically different way — and it works.
How Does Orlando Shakes Approach this Production?
Shakes accomplished this through one of its noteworthy “Bare Bard” productions, a show that is “raw and unfiltered — no sets, no spectacle — just ambition, violence, and the language that started it all,” the production notes emphasize.
At the start of the production, Timothy Williams, who plays the Duke of York, and Trevor Spence, who has the role of Henry VI, come out to address the audience and to stress just how bare this production will be. The cast was given one week to rehearse the play, without a director, and only with the assistance of two stage managers and a fight director. The lights stay on in the theater, and there are no sets.
This is the way Shakespeare himself often wanted his shows to be performed, Williams noted, as an actor-driven production where the cast acts seemingly without a safety net. As Spence noted, a crew member will be in the theater to call out their next line if any of the actors stumble, but that didn’t happen once in the show I attended. The cast seemed exceptionally well prepared to deliver a spirited show that had a touch of spontaneity to it, and the cast was impressively capable of managing this kind of rapid-fire storytelling. This show, which runs for nearly 3 hours, has a exciting vibrance to it, and often moves at the speed of lighting.
The show incorporates the talents of some of Shakes’ best known seasonal players — Williams, Walter Kmiec (Edward, Earl of March), Anne Hering (Duke of Exeter), Roberta Emerson (a deliciously ambitious and pitiless Queen Margaret) and Paul Bernardo (Earl of Northumberland), who all can be relied on to bring humor, wit and a sense of tragedy to their roles.
Two past performers make a welcome return to Shakes in this production: Spence as the hapless Henry VI and Mark McClain Wilson, who delivers a savage, cutthroat character in Richard, with a particularly harrowing ending to the show.
The audience themselves become participants, in way, since they’re given the opportunity to chose sides in this battle between white roses — used by the Yorkists — or the red rose of Lancaster through stickers available in the lobby.
Another fun touch: the Shakes bar is serving a special Bloody Rose drink during this production, which Shakes calls “a bold, refreshing blend of pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon, bourbon fire, orange curaçao, pineapple, and orange juice, finished with a splash of club soda.” A limited-edition Fire & Reign Mug is also available for sale.
I give Shakes credit: for a violent play performed in such a minimalist way, they sure make it a fun production, and they have a cast that delivers the goods. It’s a history lesson in civil war that feels disturbingly appropriate to our troubled times, and certainly scores as exciting entertainment.
Where Can I See Henry VI Part 3?
Henry VI, Part 3: The Rise of Richard by William Shakespeare is being performed at Orlando Shakes, 812 E. Rollins St. in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park, now through Sunday, April 19. The play is being performed in the Goldman Theater and runs for two hours and 30 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission.
Call the Orlando Shakes box office at 407) 447-1700 for tickets or more information.
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright and author of the terrifying book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.
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