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THEATER OSF's soaring 'Richard II' relevant to current political turmoil Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 8:23 PM Updated Jul 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 8:23 PM Updated Jul 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM » RELATED CONTENT • King-Gabriel rules 'La Cage' • Comins' 'Hamlet' an inspiration • Jeffrey Gillespie: Brexit — a guide for the perplexed • 'The Winter's Tale' of two worlds » Social News Almost inevitably, when Shakespeare's "Richard II" is mentioned, there are other mutterings in the same breath. It is a "lesser-known" Shakespeare. It is one of the least-produced plays in the canon. It's one of the history plays, the implication being that it's a little bit tricky, a little bit heavy, a little bit irritating to sit through. These more mainstream commentaries do the play a rather significant disservice, because what they tend to omit is that "Richard II" is a beautiful, poignant play, one that contains some of the most gorgeous passages ever set down by the Bard — among them the exquisite "Sceptr'd Isle" speech in Act Two. If you don't know it, I won't spoil the surprise. Suffice to say that, in the right hands, "Richard II" can be an extraordinary experience — a work that cannot and should not be easily dismissed. Those hands were certainly on the rudder at the Thomas Theatre of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival this Tuesday last, as Bill Rauch showed his audience, once again, that he is a director of sharp intellect and singular talent. Despite his self-declared terror at directing one of the history plays, Rauch has brought together a fantastically talented group of artists who have collaborated to give the audience a piece of theater that feels crisp, contemporary and never dull. Despite the usual three-hour run time — as well as the addition of another half-hour of impromptu interregnum thanks to a tech disaster that gave patrons the opportunity to experience the inner workings of a theatrical production in the form of a large hole in the stage, that nearly refused to close despite the best efforts of an earnest stage manager who labored fervently for some long minutes — the play soars, thanks to a glorious text, some elegant staging and costuming, and the singular talents of its lead player, Christopher Liam Moore. Mr. Moore presents a bewildered and snotty little Richard; a spoiled princeling not nearly ready for prime time. Decked out in assorted hilariously inappropriate outfits (a jester-like crown that doesn't quite fit the head, a pair of pretentious leopard-print shoes) and seated on a leather Chesterfield throne that is a conspicuous nod to the absurdities of the London gentleman's club, Moore's Richard is less a king and more a spoiled and isolated product of the grandiose bubble in which he lives. He makes horrible decisions. He rages against his few remaining loyalists. He irritates, alienates, and discreetly obliterates every sympathetic éminence grise within a 200-mile radius. Moore's sublime acting, coupled with his astonishing costuming as created by Linda Roethke, gives an unsettling psychological insight into what might happen when absolute power collides with a dearth of coherent leadership. Of course, King Richard comes to a grisly end, and Moore's ultimate decline into pathetic capitulation — and into a rumpled, ill-fitting grey suit — is a potent re-imagining of impotence and loss. Much of the cast is happy to capitulate quietly to Moore while he chews up the scenery as a campy, arrogant monarch. Then, as he quietly unravels, assorted players step in to manipulate an outcome that might best suit their needs. All actors on stage played their parts well, but particular kudos must go to Armando Duran, whose turn as John of Gaunt is as prophetic as it is moving, as well as to K.T. Vogt, whose robust comic turn as a pleading, prostrating Duchess of York is a much-needed breath of humor during the darker stages of the play. Jeffrey King, as the Duke of Norfolk, is a robust presence, and his charismatic nobleman offers a moral counterbalance to Moore's unhinged regent. Seeing "Richard II" on the very same day that contemporary Britain lost her Prime Minister to the absurdity of the right-leaning Brexit, I was struck by just how vigorously relevant the work of William Shakespeare continues to be. Rauch and his creative cortege have come out on top with a brilliantly rendered commentary on the rotting core of the English ruling class. If "Richard II" is truly a bad play, then Bill Rauch is quite possibly a genius. However they have pulled it off, "Richard II" at Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a timely, touching, dazzlingly rendered work of art. Anyone who is serious about their Shakespeare must see this play as soon as they have time to spare. In a year filled with political turmoil of our own, OSF's timing couldn't be better in bringing "Richard II" to the stage. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 8:23 PM Updated Jul 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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